A chief in the Central Region warned that farmers’ children no longer want to farm because they see politics as a faster route to wealth.
The Sanahene of the Enyan Denkyira Traditional Council, Osadeayo Ayeboafo Etuaful, said young people in farming families watch classmates who went into politics drive V8s and luxury vehicles, and they come to see agriculture as punishment.
“Farmers’ children see their classmates who are into politics driving V8 and luxury vehicles and see farming or the agric business as punishment,” he said. He added that farmers’ children now refuse to join their parents on the farm and prefer politics.
He blamed the shift on the poor treatment of farmers and asked the government, through the Ministry of Food and Agriculture, to urgently revamp farming so young people can be fully involved. He said this at the inauguration of the Central Regional Fruits Producers Union at Ekumfi Abor, held under the theme “Empowering Youth and Women for Sustainable Fruit Production and Economic Growth”.
At the same event, the Union President, Patrick Ayuba Quansah, appealed to traditional authorities to help young people by making suitable land available for farming.
“If we have access to land, we can establish more fruit farms, create jobs and make farming more attractive and profitable,” he said. “When we give our youth land and the right support, we are giving them something productive to do, instead of looking for other activities that can destroy our land and environment.”
He said the Central Region has great potential in fruit production, but cannot succeed alone without support from financial institutions, government, development partners, buyers and other stakeholders.
