There are heightened calls for the youth to harness the opportunities available in Ghana's agricultural sector for economic transformation.

Experts in the agriculture space argue that young people must leverage technologies to revolutionize the sector and drive productivity along the agricultural value chain.

The assertions were made at a conference organized by the MasterCard Foundation, in partnership with Agri Impact Limited.

With Ghana’s unemployment rate soaring, these experts stressed that the government’s investment in the youth’s creativity could facilitate creation of dignified jobs and sustainable societies.

According to the Ghana Statistical Service (GSS), one in every four young persons between 15 and 24 years were not engaged in education, employment, or training during the third quarter of 2022.

Currently, the advent of entrepreneurship has intensified calls for the youth to seek alternative sources of employment and livelihoods including agriculture.

But to ensure sustainability, some agriculturalists and agribusiness experts believe the agricultural landscape must be revolutionalised for the younger generation to create dignified jobs.

The event, in celebration of the International Youth Day, was held at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology.

Chief Executive Officer of Agri-Impact Limited, Daniel Fahene Acquaye, said young entrepreneurs in the agric space have the potential to impact the economy.

“The greatest resources that we have as a country is the youth. Investment in their creative minds and innovation will lead to economic transformation. The world millionaires we see today started small and young and we have every course to believe in their creativity. This is why the future of our country’s transformation is not the gold or the diamond. The youth are also desirous to contribute to the country’s development. So let's train young minds on how they can use technology to increase productivity,” he said.

The event was under the theme: "Revolutionizing Agriculture through digital innovations to create jobs for the youth".

The MasterCard Foundation, in partnership with Agri-Impact Limited, also introduced the Harnessing Agricultural Productivity and Prosperity (HAPPY) Program.

The initiative is expected to open up employment opportunities for 326,000 young people along the rice, soy, poultry and tomato value chains, in a quest to ensure food security.

Chief Farmer at AgroKings, Nana Owusu-Achau, is convinced of the overwhelming prospects the agriculture space holds for the youth.

“We need Ghanaians who are willing to invest in the country. Every part of agriculture has to do with the youth. We don't have the luxury of large-scale farming which comes with large stores of food like developed countries and importation is killing us. This is where the youth comes in to benefit themselves and our country,” he said.

On her part, the Vice Chancellor of KNUST, Prof. Rita Akosua Dickson, commended Agri-Impact and the Mastercard Foundation for the numerous youth-focused initiatives championed by both firms.

“Anything that is youth-focused is remarkable and must be supported. It is through such collaboration that we can unlock the full potential of our youth to lead the digital transformation of the agricultural sector. KNUST, is an institution that champions science and technology, and our mandate falls in line with this idea,” she said.