The Minister for Food and Agriculture, Mr. Eric Opoku has called on Ghanaian and African youths to take advantage of the vast opportunities within the agriculture sector, emphasising that the continent cannot continue to lament over unemployment without adopting practical solutions.

Addressing participants at the Food, Agriculture, Technology and Sustainability Conference held at the Ho Technical University, and themed “Rethinking the Future of Food and Its Allied Systems in an Era of Sustainability and Circularity,” the Minister highlighted agriculture’s central role in transforming national economies.

Mr. Opoku disclosed that while Ghana produces nearly 5,000 unemployed graduates annually, Africa generates over 9 million unemployed youth each year.

Despite this challenge, the continent possesses 60% of the world’s agricultural resources, yet contributes only 10% to global food production — a paradox he described as unacceptable.

“We are fully aware of our low production and low productivity levels,” he noted.

“We cannot keep lamenting every day without finding solutions.

Africa has immense potential to use agriculture to create jobs for its teeming youth.”

The Minister also pointed to recent improvements in Ghana’s food security indicators.

He said Ghana was among the countries with the highest food inflation prior to 2025, recording 61% food inflation in 2023. However, with the change in administration, the rate has declined sharply to 9%, a shift he attributed to deliberate policy interventions of the Mahama-led government.

According to Mr. Opoku, President John Dramani Mahama has initiated the Agriculture for Economic Transformation Agenda, aimed at delivering prosperity and sustainable livelihoods to the Ghanaian people.

As part of this agenda, the government has introduced the Feed Ghana Programme, targeted at boosting food production, reducing import dependency, and expanding opportunities across the agricultural value chain.

He stressed that agriculture and science are inseparable, underscoring the importance of research, innovation, and modern technology in driving productivity.

This, he said, informed the government’s decision to establish a Research Fund to support agricultural innovation across universities and research institutions.

The Minister further announced significant investments in soil management, the fertiliser testing, and seed testing equipment, critical areas needed to ensure quality inputs and achieve higher yields.

Additionally, the government is injecting capital into the expansion of irrigation systems across the country to enable year-round farming and guarantee food security.

Mr. Opoku urged stakeholders, academia, and young people to collaborate with the government to redefine the future of agriculture through innovation, sustainability, and circularity.

“Agriculture remains our strongest path to economic transformation,” he concluded.

“Together, we can build a prosperous Ghana through modern, technology-driven agriculture.”