Wenchi Agriculture College in the Bono region continues to grapple with a pressing issue of insufficient infrastructure that hampers the quality of teaching and learning.

The deficiencies span a range of essential facilities, including lecture halls, a science laboratory, college transportation, and staff accommodations.

The Principal of the College, Abdulai Mahamadu, elaborated on these challenges during the matriculation ceremony for the fourth batch of incoming students.

He emphasised that the lack of proper facilities is impeding the college's vital operations.

“We need to fix the infrastructure deficit as soon as possible because we want to become an autonomous degree-awarding agriculture institution in the next few years.

“This will enable the teeming youth to acquire credible knowledge in general agriculture,” he stressed.

Mr. Mahamadu earnestly appealed to various stakeholders, including the Wenchi Municipal Assembly, the Wenchi Traditional Council, organizations, and philanthropists, to come forward and support the college in its efforts to upgrade its facilities.

Regarding the fresh students, he shared that the college has admitted 166 young men and women for the 2023/2024 academic year. These students will be pursuing a 2-year certificate program in General Agriculture and a one-year Vocational Training in Agriculture.

The Wenchi Municipal Director of the Department of Agriculture, Emmanuel Afful, encouraged the incoming students to dedicate themselves to their studies, with the aim of becoming successful Agricultural Extension Officers and entrepreneurs. He further advised them to take advantage of the numerous agricultural resources available within the Wenchi municipality to gain hands-on knowledge of agriculture.

The Nifahene of the Wenchi Traditional Area, Nana Nuamah Ameyaw Keteku Soapia II, urged the students to uphold high standards of behavior and to refrain from actions that could tarnish the reputation of the college. He assured the students that the traditional council is actively working to protect the college's land from encroachers.

Wenchi Agriculture College, originally established in 1964 as Wenchi Farm Institute, was tasked with training youth in vocational agriculture to support the Ministry of Agriculture and related organizations as Technical and Farm Assistants. Over time, its mandate expanded to include training prospective farmers, farmer-based organizations, and community-based organizations in modern farming techniques and methods, enabling them to establish their farms and become agribusiness practitioners for improved livelihoods.

In late 2020, former Minister of Food and Agriculture, Dr. Owusu Afriyie Akoto, approved the transformation of the Wenchi Farm Institute into a fully-fledged agriculture college.

The institution's journey towards this goal is ongoing, with infrastructure development being a critical aspect of its growth.