Minister urges youth to invest in sustainable agriculture

Dr Sagre Bambangi, Deputy Minister of Agriculture, has urged the Youth to invest in sustainable agriculture to help boost food production.

Dr Bambangi, who is also the Member of Parliament (MP) for Walewale said sustainable agriculture is the practice of agriculture, such that, society’s present needs are satisfied without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.

The Deputy Minister was speaking at the Mzuzah Convergence 2019 seminar, at the Ashesi University in Accra on Thursday, on the theme; “Accelerating Possibilities.

”The convergence saw over 250 participants from various tertiary schools across the country as well as students from Kenya, Nigeria, Cameroon and Zimbabwe.

Dr Bambangi said, “I feel inspired to think sustainability and I inspire you the youth to think sustainability as future Leaders, think investment and venture in agriculture. Seek for knowledge and technologies of best land preparation and tillage practices for the appropriate crops, learn and adhere to the best agronomic practices as well as animal and poultry rearing technologies.”

He said sustainable agriculture in Ghana could produce three outcomes, financial profitability, environmental stewardship and social responsibility, adding that, such outcomes were shaped by policy in many countries.

The Deputy Minister said agricultural policies in the past three decades in Ghana had failed to produce positive outcomes.

“In order to surmount these setbacks, the Government of President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo rolled out the planting for Food and Jobs and the Planting for Export and Rural Development Programmes. In June this year the President will launch the Rearing for Food and Jobs,” he said.

He said the programmes rolled out by the government contained pillars and components of subsidies, improved technologies and practices to enhance productivity and improve profitability, maintain the environment and encourage social responsibilities, which has now made agriculture an attractive venture.

Mr. Clem Ugorji, Public Affairs and Communications Director for Coca-Cola, West Africa, said the youth needed to build a strong integrity and have ethical values to shape a sustainable world.

Madam Doyin Oluntona, Co-Founder of Mzuzah Africa, in an interview with the GNA said, the convergence was to explore ways of building a realistic intersection between sustainability, social impact and economic empowerment.

“It is about creating wealth in Africa in a very sustainable way and inspiring next generation leaders. This whole session is to inspire the next generation,” she said.

She observed that, the ultimate goal was to ensure participants went back into their communities and do something differently to build Africa right and quickly.

Source: GNA

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