The National Youth Authority is hosting a delegation of young farmers from Colombia who are in the country to offer specialized training to young Ghanaian farmers on modern, best international practices on Plantain cultivation, processing and trade related aspects of the international plantain business.

The Colombian delegation which arrived in Ghana on Thursday 9th April 2015 have begun their nine days training visit with a program in Asankare (Ashanti Region) where over 200 commercial plantain growers are expected to receive specialized training.

Dubbed the "Ghana-Colombia Plantain Project", the program is a product of the strong bilateral south-south cooperation between the two countries, and is aimed at sharing common skills in the areas of Agric, Technical skills and Trade.

At a recent out-dooring press conference at the Ministry of Youth and Sports, Acting National Coordinator of the National Youth Authority Mr. Ras Mubarak, told journalists the program is purposed to deliver on the specific targets set forth under the key priority areas of the National Youth Policy Implementation Plan, which aims at empowering youths in modern agriculture with knowledge and skills in best international practices.

Ras Mubarak was particularly excited that a significant number of the trainees are themselves trainers and instructors at the various NYA Youth Training Colleges spread out across Ghana.

His Excellency Fernando Grillo, Deputy Chief of Missions at the Colombian Embassy in Ghana stressed that the program marked the first of a series of skills-sharing dialogue between Ghana and Colombia in the area of agriculture and youth empowerment. He added that the program was conceived when President John Mahama embarked on a visiting tour of Colombia in January 2015, upon which he expressed interest in youth-focused cooperation between the two countries.

The Colombian facilitators come to the program with immense technical and artisanal skills which are critical requirements to successful internationally focused plantain growing businesses, with special emphasis on value addition, processing, farm management and product packaging.

The Minister of Youth and Sports Alhaji Dr. Mustapha Ahmed stressed the importance of innovation to successful agro businesses. Obviously impressed by the array of products exhibited by the visiting delegation, some of which were made from waste materials of plantain, he expressed confidence that the skills-sharing program would go a long way to open up employment opportunities for youths in Agriculture.

The Director of Corporate Affairs at the National Youth Authority Sedem Ofori, told journalists that the program would be of immense value to the Colombians as well, given the rich history of plantain cultivation in Ghana.

Mr. Ofori said an essential thrust of the bilateral cooperation was the goal of a South-South knowledge transfer, and that Ghana is poised to deliver to the Colombian delegation valuable, time-tested indigenous knowledge which can be credited to the success of plantain cultivation in Ghana.

The Colombian delegation will also be traveling to Brong Ahafo, an important plantain growing region, where hundreds of farmers, artisans and skill coaches will receive training.