The Upper West Regional Minister has stated that Ghana’s agricultural strategy is consistent with the comprehensive Africa Agricultural Development Program (CAADP) championed by the African Union and is being implemented under the Medium Term Agricultural Sector Investment Plan (METASHIP, 2011-2015). The METASIP, according to Ambassador Alhaji Amin Amidu Sulemani is based on a well coordinated strategy of land development with associated mechanization of farm activities, improved seed adoption, increase fertilizer use, increase irrigation water and sustainable land management and enhanced post harvest lost. Ambassador Sulemani made the statement on the occasion of the annual Sisaala youth forum held in Gbollu in the Sisaala West district capital. Commenting on theme of the forum which is “Agriculture; the backbone of the nation, the role of the Sissala youth,” the Upper West regional minister said agriculture is indeed the backbone of the Ghanaian economy, adding that it provides employment for over seventy percent of the population and plays a vital role in the lives of Ghanaians at various levels. He however noted with sadness that despite the touting that it is the mainstay of the economy; the aged continue to toil on our land. He therefore sees it as heartwarming to have a group of youth in the Sissala districts demonstrating interest in agriculture. ‘‘I don’t want to believe that youth vision organization is just one of those talk shops where people gather to engage in blame game. Opportunities abound in agriculture and God has blessed us with arable land. Seek the right interventions and you could go beyond subsistence to big time commercial farming,’’ he urged them. The Upper West regional minister said government recently commissioned a shea-nut factory at Buipe in the Northern region with a huge potential of increasing the earnings of our peasant farmers and sheanut pickers. In order to sustain production at the factory, ambassador Sulemani urged them to be wary of charcoal burning and stop cutting the shea trees to produce charcoal.