The German Ambassador to Ghana, Daniel Krull, yesterday opened the National Agricultural Capacity Building and Business Set-up Roadshow (NAGRICA), with a call on the youth to take to agriculture.

Tagged “It is Possible,” the programme is an initiative of Dr Zanetor Agyeman-Rawlings, Member of Parliament of Klotey Korley Constituency and implemented by Agrihouse Foundation, a non-governmental organisation with focus on agri-business and agriculture.

Under the three-day programme, about 150 youth from Greater Accra, are being trained in snail and rabbit and mushroom cultivation.

After the training, each beneficiary would be given a starter-pack to help them start their business.

Mr Krull, who was the guest of honour, said agriculture offered ready jobs.

He said there were a lot of opportunities in agriculture and the youth must take advantage of them to create their own businesses.

He entreated the beneficiaries to take the training seriously to build their skills in snail, rabbit and mushroom rearing.

The German Ambassador to Ghana commended Dr Agyeman-Rawlings and Agrihouse Foundation for the programme.

The 2018 National Best Farmer, Mr James Boateng, said farming was a business with good returns.

He urged the beneficiaries and youth not to see agriculture as a venture for the academically poor.

Mr Boateng said farming required patience, hardwork, diligence and good business plan to succeed.

Dr Agyeman-Rawlings, the Lead Implementer of the programme, said she conceived the idea of supporting the youth to enter agriculture and agri-business seven years ago.

According to her agriculture and agri-business could be a tool to create jobs for the youth and address unemployment challenge facing the country.

Dr Zanetor said the beneficiaries would be supported to create their own businesses.

She said even though the application for the programme was done online more than 700 youth applied.

“I’m overwhelmed by the positive response this exercise has received from the youth,” she said.

Dr Agyeman-Rawlings urged the participants “to make most out of the training,” disclosing that an application was being developed to help participants share information about the programme.

She said post-harvest losses remained a problem and arrangement had been made for the products to be produced from the programme to be bought by offtakers, so marketing did not become a  problem to the beneficiaries.

The Executive Director of Agrihouse Foundation, Albert Nana Akyaa Akosa, said the programme was meant to create “success stories of job creation.”

She said the programme, which in the first phase, was currently being implemented in Accra.

Ms Akosa said the programme would be extended to all the 16 regions of the country.