Agriculture; Africa's part of the money solution and economic building

“Young people without jobs can destabilise society.” - Michael Sudarkasa, Chief Executive Officer of Africa Business Group. 

The words of Michael reflects on the youth unemployment crisis in the whole of Africa and it relationship directly to the many societal ills that accompany unemployment that's seen across the continent, courtesy to unproductive minds.

The world population is growing, especially in Africa,and global food systems are proving to be inadequate to meet the growing demand. 

As the world advances,there are new problems that emerge and there is need for solutions which doubles up as businesses to fill these market gaps in providing the solutions. One major problem is food security and nutrition that comes with increased population that translates to difficulty in providing for.

In Africa, the large unemployment is a crisis that accelerates poverty and the large work force which mostly is in rural Africa Should be tapped to ensure more employment and income earning. The youth in arable regions who remain unemployed should be empowered and supported to attain productive capabilities in the field of agriculture as part of utilizing the human resources available.

Agriculture has long been perceived as a profession for the hopeless and the rural population- especially unemployed youth in the society,the narrative should be rebranded and agriculture promoted as a business venture that can be converted into a multi-million dollar idea. 

Several years ago, people only practised agriculture as mere engagement and, as a societal norm but the recent trends in the agricultural industry has made it clear that the opportunities in agriculture cannot be overemphasized.

In the coming years,as seen even from this year, agricultural start ups have increased tremendously and it's a step ahead going by the passion that young people are putting in the sector. 

It's not difficult to find agricultural stores,food chains,digital farms and organic establishments today unlike it were a few years ago. With this,there is need to ensure that more players get into the game to accelerate food production whose demand exceeds production by a double figure. It is a totally open space with so much potential and well established can be a revolution in African economies. It has a guaranteed market if diversification is encouraged.

Given the recent financing support, commitment and entrepreneurship from development programmes from government agencies, African Development Bank, donor agencies, non-governmental agencies, philanthropists and private sector players,the youth are encouraged to upscale their entrepreneurial skills and look into agriculture in order to explore the existing opportunities.

Areas with opportunities include poultry farming and egg production, fish farming, horticulture, vegetable farming, food processing and value addition.

Another key area of focus that needs to be expanded is dairy farming whose potential is unimaginable. 

Kenya alone has a demand of over 80million litres of milk annually beating the production capacity that stands at 25million litres for the same period. With that said,there it shows the potential that can be converted into a venture and help Crete thousands of jobs across the divide. This is not a government duty alone. The youth must learn to use such information in establishing businesses in line with dairy.

A farmer spraying crops in Zimbabwe, Image source unknown.

In a milk chain,we have production, distribution, retailing and value addition. If a strive to meet the demand is made,it will see the current milk industry double it's ability of the shilling and see many people employed. 

It may seem easy to mention,but ideally, information is important in creating and establishing solid foundations for businesses in agriculture. 

With increased research capabilities by governments,better farming practices are now at the reach of a few and the results are unimaginable. Better crop production, enhanced mechanical and technical efficiencies and digitization of horticulture which has since gained traction with the EU markets opening it's doors for exports.

Following Britain's Brexit deal its government has come out strongly to supporting farming in countries such as Kenya and such rare opportunities are meant to accelerate exports to Britain which relies on importation to satisfy it's food needs. It's only if agriculture is expanded that we can benefit from such deals.

What do the youth need to ensure maximum benefits from the agricultural sector? Why are we talking about agriculture? With all the education amongst the African youth,why is agriculture important?

First, as the youth of Africa,we should understand that in as much as our economies require development in technology, manufacturing, financial sector among other sectors, ignoring agriculture shouldn't be one of the agendas. This is a path not taken,with capacity to employ millions at a faster rate of employability than any other sector. We need money, agriculture has money and it is by design one of the golden sectors for the next decade.

Secondly, Africa has a ready market for agricultural produce. Establishing businesses in this sector isn't going to lose relevance as no time in the near future are we going to shy away from the essentials from agriculture. From food crops to fibres,from livestock to fish,from oils to fat. All these show that it is a sector whose development will have stability and security than any other sector.

The youth Should therefore have a spirit of accepting agriculture as an employer, acquiring all information necessary to venture into the sector and lastly,using the available resources to starting small. 

Governments on the other hand should pursue a comprehensive youth livelihoods strategy. First, they should focus on investing in agricultural productivity growth to create new opportunities for youth in farming that can then lead to the expansion of job opportunities for young people in the broader off-farm economic system.

Secondly, they should develop evidence-based strategies for assisting rural youth to access land and finance, as these are two of the most salient barriers inhibiting youth participation in agriculture.

Thirdly, they should invest in education and skill development to enable young people to fully realize their monetary potential and maximize their productivity.

Lastly,they should bring together market players to encourage direct marketing for produce from businesses owned by the youth in agriculture. This includes opening up networks in Europe and other African countries for exports.

These are opinions of the writer and do not at any point provide an evident mechanism of practicability. It's meant to ignite a genuine debate on the place of africa and what can form part of the solution. It's a question of policy engagement and divergent views are welcomed.

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