Ghana’s ambition to attract more young people into agriculture will require stronger access to production inputs, irrigation and viable agribusiness opportunities, as renewed attention turns to the cost and commercial risks of entering the sector.
For young farmers, the decision to venture into agriculture is increasingly tied to whether they can afford essential inputs, sustain production throughout the year and generate sufficient returns to make farming a viable business.
These challenges are central to the youth agriculture agenda being championed by Comrade Steven Nhyira Odarteifio, an aspirant for National Youth Organiser of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), who says economic opportunities in farming must extend beyond seasonal cultivation to include processing, technology and agricultural value chains.
As part of efforts to support young farmers, Mr Odarteifio has provided 1,000 bags of 10-kilogramme organic fertiliser for distribution to deserving young farmers at the 42nd National Farmers’ Day celebration scheduled for Sunyani on December 4, 2026.
The initiative places farm input access within the broader discussion about making agriculture commercially attractive to young people, particularly as production costs, access to financing and the availability of productive resources influence the profitability of farming enterprises.
Mr Odarteifio said his intervention was intended to recognise young people contributing to food production and demonstrate the importance of mobilising resources to support their participation in the sector.
He said the contribution was inspired by individuals and organisations providing resources to support the annual Farmers’ Day celebration and reward farmers across the country.
“I thought it will be great to pull a few resources together and contribute some organic fertiliser for young people in the sector who will be recognised on the day. It is important that they know their Ministry, in partnership with citizens, is thinking about them and appreciates the hard work they put in throughout the year,” he said.
His campaign, launched in Accra on September 14, 2026, under the theme “Economic Mobilisation”, proposes a broader approach to youth economic participation, with agriculture identified as one of the sectors capable of creating employment and enterprise opportunities.
The campaign argues that youth mobilisation must translate into access to capital, skills, technology, markets and productive assets that enable young people to establish sustainable businesses.
Mr Odarteifio has pledged to help economically impact an additional one million young Ghanaians before the end of President John Dramani Mahama’s administration.
In agriculture, he has proposed a dedicated irrigation fund to help farmers, particularly in northern Ghana, move beyond dependence on seasonal rainfall and cultivate throughout the year.
Such an intervention, he said, would help improve production consistency, create opportunities for agribusiness expansion and enable young farmers to participate more actively in commercial agriculture.
“Agriculture must become one of the most attractive pathways to economic independence for young people. We cannot continue to speak about youth unemployment without deliberately connecting our young people to productive opportunities in farming, agribusiness, processing and agricultural technology,” he said.
He added that economic mobilisation should ensure young people had the resources and support to transform their ideas and potential into viable enterprises.
Receiving the fertiliser on behalf of the Ministry of Food and Agriculture, Mr John Dumelo, Deputy Minister, expressed appreciation to Mr Odarteifio and said the items would be distributed to farmers recognised during the national celebration.
He described the contribution as timely, noting that the Ministry required additional prizes to reward farmers.
The 42nd National Farmers’ Day celebration will be held in Sunyani on December 4, 2026.
