Ghana’s farmlands are getting quieter, not because the soil is less fertile, but because fewer young people are willing to work in them.
Dr. Frank Ackah, a Senior Lecturer at the University of Cape Coast’s Department of Crop Science, says the country’s agriculture sector is being quietly hollowed out as older farmers age and retire, with too few young people stepping in to replace them.
Speaking to The High Street Journal, he warned that this trend is a ticking time bomb for Ghana’s food security.
“Many young graduates look at the lives of farmers and see struggle, not success,” Dr. Ackah explained. “They would rather move to the city than work the land.”
Today, most of Ghana’s farmers are well over 50 years old. Many of them still rely on basic tools, have little or no insurance, and face unpredictable market prices that make it hard to earn a steady income. As a result, agriculture, though it feeds the nation and employs millions, is seen as a last resort job rather than a career of choice.
Dr. Ackah believes this image is a major reason why young people are turning away from the sector. The lure of city jobs, even when they pay modestly, often feels safer and more rewarding than the uncertainty of farming.
“If we don’t change how we treat our farmers, we will wake up one day with no one left to grow our food,” he warned.
He added that the lack of structured career paths in agriculture makes it hard for young people to see a future in it. Unlike teachers and nurses, who are recruited into formal services with clear pay scales, training, and retirement benefits, farmers are left to fend for themselves.
Dr. Ackah is calling on the government to change this by investing more in support systems for farmers, including fair wages, pensions, access to credit, and proper training opportunities. He says this would restore pride in farming and show young people that agriculture can offer a stable and respected livelihood.
“If we want food security, we must first make farming worth doing,” he said.
Until that happens, Ghana’s farming population will continue to age, and the risk of future food shortages will only grow.
