Traditional leaders of Bontrase in the Awutu Senya District of the Central Region are considering active participation of youth in agriculture to create jobs in order to reduce the rate of unemployment in the area. At present, a chunk of the youth are employed in the okada business which does not provide any solid income.

A chunk of the youth in this community are heavily relying on Okada business as their main source of income. Apart from it not being sustainable several of them continue to suffer perpetual injuries and some dying as a result of rampant accidents.

Poverty rate is high among residents of this community. Even though it has vast arable land youth interest in agriculture has being all-time low due to a lack of support systems.

But there’s a ray of hope as traditional authorities have begun to take revolutionary steps to make Agric an interesting area for the youth.

Speaking to Metro News on the sidelines of his coronation as Omankrado for the Bontrase community which coincided with the Awubia Festival, Nai Kwaku Amoansa said the traditional authorities have begun partnering with international organizations for scientific research to provide sustainable methods for the envisaged agricultural revolution.

He believes with a special focus on Agric several youth members of the area would be gainfully employed to alleviate poverty.

However, the local authorities are worried about lingering land disputes between them and the Agonas which according to them is affecting land administration and tenure system. Queen mother of Bontrase Naakye is appealing for the government’s intervention in solving the dispute amicably whilst attending to the poor road network in the area to facilitate the carting of food produce from the area.

By: Akwasi Addo | Metrotvonline.com | Ghana