Juaboso Constituency lawmaker, Kwabena Mintah Akanhoh, has reiterated the economic importance of agriculture stating it adversely affects the economic growth of many nations, making it an important factor for every country’s economic growth.
He said investing in the agriculture sector is a game-changer and can boost the country’s revenue therefore urged the government to focus on the sector.
According to him, he earns millions of monies from his farms than the four-year salary plus allowances he receives as a Member of Parliament.
“If you see farming as a business you will make it,” the legislator averred.
“All things being equal If I put all my salaries together within the four years what I can get from my farm within a year is more than what I can get in my entire four years all my allowances and whatever,” he told Dr. Randy Abbey.
Mr. Mintah Akandoh said while encouraging the youth to consider pursuing a career in farming on Metro TV’s Good Morning Ghana on Tuesday, June 15, 2021.
Perceptions
For the majority of Ghana’s youth, agriculture isn’t an attractive avenue of employment. Most young people shy away from farming because of the perception that farming is tedious, underpaid work is traditionally done by older generations.
“We were not doing it well. The hoe and cutlass approach. How many hectares or acres can you weed a day? There should that atmosphere and availability of equipment; i.e. tractors, preparation of the land, and then there should be that conscious effort for sensitization and education on our radio and TVs like we’re doing today. But we are almost all the time interested in sensational stories.”
Solutions
The Member of Parliament for Juaboso Constituency believes the media engaging technical people in the sector to share their perspective with the general public will encourage the youth to engage in farming.
“I think that if we begin inviting those people in the sector (the technical people) to come and share their perspective with us you will be encouraged.”
Difficulty early years
All those did not come on a silver platter. The lawmaker mentioned that he had a challenging start. For the first two years into farming, he said he made no profit.
By: Bernard Ralph Adams | Metrotvonline.com | Ghana