Dear All members,
It is refreshing and exciting to see the world moving towards the future thus thinking of the youth, agriculture, ICT and rural development. Engaging rural youth in agriculture with youth led ICT solutions coupled with the development of needed infrastructure is key to Africas growth, ending hunger and poverty. I will like to address the questions for this all important discussion;
1. Experience as a Youth in the Agriculture Sector
I have experience as an advisory service provider in the agricultural sector for ten years, as an agripreneur in poultry and livestock production, and innovative financing of small holder farmers in rural areas. All these is motivated by one thing "feeding myself and others without relying on the external world".
With my work as an advisory service provider (extension officer) i had the opportunity to train many including youth in crop production, livestock production, and value chain processes, etc. Taking up a current training of rural farmers in the rice and maize value chain in Ghana on Farmer Business School (FBS) with the objective of explaining the financial implication of agricultural technology application, I have observed that young farmers that attended the training programme have the willingness to pursue farming but are looking for simple technologies to overcome the drudgery involved. They also want rural infrastructure of roads, schools, and telecommunication developed so as to transport their inputs with ease; educate themselves and children; and access Agricultural ICT solutions to enhance productivity.
I started poultry and livestock production in 2015, due to the realization of the high import bill associated with poultry product in Ghana. The objective of the poultry enterprise was to increase in poultry production by farmers. This is achieved through production day old chicks, rearing them for six week (pullet stage) and sell to both domestic and commercial farmers. With this several households established backyard poultry farms to serve their egg and meat needs. One key factor leading to my poultry business model was the practical training I received from Creating Champions in Livestock Agribusiness Incubator that have enhance my skills in poultry breeding, hatchery processes and business management. This shows the importance of skills training and entrepreneurship in agriculture.
Studying trends on how savings is perceived and the unavailability of financial service providers in the rural areas, we have developed an innovative savings and financing scheme for small holder farmers in the rural areas and piloted since 2016. Small holder farmers are put into groups, taken through financial literacy education and savings done through produce or anything of value. The Project is named Save Everything of Value project (SEVAP) since the agricultural produce that they have is of monetary value which is converted by a "Group Offtaker" and the monetary value placed into their individual accounts. Withdrawals and other payments are made through mobile money which help reduce the risk and financial burden of travelling to financial institutions far from the locations.
2. Major Achievements and Success Stories
I have impacted many farmers including youth with adequate knowledge in agriculture to transform their lives. Undertaking the poultry business has initiated more than 100 households to keep backyard poultry for their egg and meat needs and trained the youth in poultry production. With the innovative savings scheme, small holder farmers have been given the opportunity for financial inclusion to enhance their livelihoods.
Raising finance for poultry project was a major challenge that was solved by consulting friends to help with some money which helped to start the business.
Below are few success stories of youth engaged in agriculture in Ghana:
1. Cynthia Aveh (Founder- TrustFarm Ltd and Greencredit)
Cynthia is a graduate of the Founder Institute Accra cohort 2017 where she founded Trustfarm and Greencredit respectively. Trustfarm is founded on technology to provide a sustainable market for food crops and livestocks for small and large holder farmers. Greencredit leverage on blockchain technology and initial coin offering to raise fund to plant more trees, and save the ecosystem through beekeeping. She has the ambition as a young woman to impact the world through agricultural entrepreneurship.
2. Micheal Sakyi (CEO-SM Golden Bee)
SM Golden Bee is an Agribusiness company founded by a young man for beekeeping and production of soap, cream with the honey, wax and propolis. He also offers practical training for other youth especially in rural areas. He objective is to protect the ecosystem, preserve bees for increase plant pollination and supply of valuable bee products to the society.
3. Gideoa Padi Konotey (CEO-Goat Masters Ltd)
Goat Masters Ltd is an agribusiness firm focused on value addition to goat with special focus on value chain form; rearing, butchering, processing, packaging, marketing and distribution of livestock into various consumables (http://www.goatmastersgh.com/).
4. Trotro Tractor Ltd
A team of young passionate Africans using internet of things (IoT) and technology to change the lives of smallholder farmers through the provision of platforms which makes agricultural mechanization (Tractor) service available, accessible and affordable to enhance productivity, improve efficiency and reduce post-harvest loss (http://www.trotrotractor.com)
These and many other youth exist in the agriculture space in Ghana that need support and the encouragement to achieve the goal of ending hunger and poverty.
3. What the Rwanda Youth Conference Should Address
a). Youth Employment and Entrepreneurship:
What harmonize effort is been taken on the African countinent to ensure youth are employed in Agriculture?
b). Digital Innovation to Overcome Agriculture Value-Chain Constraints,
What step are been taken to address the infrastructural constraints associated with digital innovations in Africa?
What is the policy position on Digital Innovations?
What financing scheme exist for digital innovation in the Agriculture value chain in Africa?
c). Future of Work in Rural Economy - of the conference?
The Future of work in rural economy will improve only with decent rural infrastructure. Can we have a resolution for Governments to tackle the rural infrastructural deficient along side embarking on youth employment in Agriculture to address hunger and poverty?
Mr. Kafui Agbe