Dubbed “Youth in Agribusiness” the festival seeks to provide them the platform to share their success stories as well as promote youth development in the country.

The festival, which will be celebrated on the theme: “Youth in Agribusiness in Ghana: the story so far and the way forward” in July, 2022 at the Jubilee Park and the Prempeh Assembly Hall in Kumasi, is designed to showcase the outstanding development of young people within the agribusiness sector.

The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Foundation, Professor Baffour Agyeman-Duah,  speaking at the launch yesterday in Accra said the Foundation did not only see young people as future leaders but as people who should be prepared for leadership in future.

According to Prof Agyeman –Duah, the foundation had over the years been promoting agriculture through advocacy and direct supports.

He said the initiative was born out of former President John Kuffuor’s own personal commitment to improving agriculture and agri-related businesses in the country, particularly those that are led by young people.

He said the foundation had played a critical role in the rice sector, ensuring that Ghana becomes self-sufficient in rice production.

“We have been very much active in promoting agriculture, particularly rice production in the country and other countries in the Africa,” he noted.

For him, the festival among others will help to promote facilities for young people in the agri-sector, adding that the festival was not only targeting those who are directly on the field but all agriculture value-chain actors.

He, therefore, charged the media to support the initiative in order for it to gain the needed traction in public discourse.

Mr Jeffrey Agyemang-Duah, Convener of the Youth in Agribusiness Festival, said the festival was envisaged to bring together major stakeholders in agribusiness on one platform to share their experiences, lessons learnt, and to network along the agricultural value-chain.

He added that the festival will serve as an inspiration to generate interest in agribusiness for both employed and unemployed youth, stressing that “those who do not find agribusiness as an attractive business venture will be exposed to the achievements of the youth in agribusiness and will therefore have evidence of the prospects and the life-changing experiences in agribusiness.”

Mr Agyemang-Duah further explained that the festival was inspired by the need to motivate the youth to accept agriculture and its related activities as a commercial business venture.

“The Youth in Agribusiness Festival is targeting people aged between 18 to 35 who are involved in farming, technology service provision, agri-input dealership, agri advisory and financial service provision, processing and value addition, packaging, branding, digital or online marketing, transportation and distribution and agri-tourism.