This year’s programme, the fifth in the series and scheduled to take place in Accra from March 28 to April 1, 2022, is on the theme “Digitalisation-The enabler, game-changer, and future for the Agri-Youth.”

An initiative of Agrihouse Foundation, an agribusiness focused non-governmental organisation, AGSTUD is a practical beginner agribusiness initiative designed to develop agric students, beginner agribusinesses and start-ups’ expertise.

This year’s programme is under the auspices of OCP Ghana, Agromonti and other sponsors.

The Human Resource Director of the Ministry of Food and Agriculture, Lawoetey Tettey, who made the call during the launch of the 2022 version of AGSTUD, said it was time the youth perceived agriculture as business and career for the aged.

“The youth must help change the face of agriculture and not portray it as a job for old people,” he said.

Like any other profession or business, he said the youth who took to agriculture could make it in life and lead meaningful lives.

MrTettey said with agriculture, the youth could establish their own businesses without searching for non-existent white-collar jobs.

He said the government would continue to initiate strategies and provide incentives for agriculture to thrive, stressing that agriculture had been and continued to be the backbone of the Ghanaian economy.

He commended Agrihouse Foundation for the AGSTUD and stressed MoFA would continue to partner and support the programme.

In an overview with the 2022 AGSTUD programme, the Executive Director of Agrihouse Foundation, Alberta Nana Akyaa Akosa Sarpong said about 500 participants from thirty agricultural institutions were expected to participate in this year’s programme. She said this year’s programme would attract participants from Togo, Nigeria and Cote d’Ivoire.

Some of the participating institutions, MsSarpong mentioned were Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, University of Ghana, University of Cape Coast, University of Development Studies, University of Energy and Natural Resources, and Central University.

MsSarpong said the Vice President, DrMahamuduBawumia, had agreed to meet and mentor participants in this year’s programme at the Jubilee House.

Among the activities, the Executive Director of Agrihouse Foundation, said the participants would be taught how to develop a business plan, how to develop an idea into business, leadership training, interviewing technologies, marketing and business negotiation.

The Country Manager of OCP Ghana Limited, Mr Samuel Oduro-Asare, said OCP Ghana was proud to be associated with the AGSTUD.

 “We are truly committed to the sustainability of this interventional project because it makes room for the growth and development of young Ghanaians who have passion, and are eager to contribute significantly to the progress of our country’s agricultural sector,” he said.

Mr Oduro-Asare said OCP Ghana was particularly excited about the theme for this year’s programme, stressing that Ghana was fast becoming a digitised economy like the rest of the world.