Prof Terry Ansah, a Professor of Animal Nutrition
The Government of Ghana’s recent launch of the “Feed Ghana” programme is a step in the right direction toward modernizing agriculture, enhancing food security, and creating jobs.
However, Prof. Terry Ansah, a Professor of Animal Nutrition and Dean of the Faculty of Agriculture, Food and Consumer Sciences at the University for Development Studies (UDS), believes that strategic measures are needed to encourage more youth to enter the sector.
Prof. Ansah suggests that providing agricultural students with allowances—similar to those given to teacher and nursing trainees—would significantly strengthen the sector’s future.
He also recommends exposing students to practical skills and linking them with private sector businesses.
“Feed Ghana will only succeed if we also ‘Fund Ghana’s Agri-Students,’” Prof. Ansah argued. “Provide them with allowances, expose them to practical skills, and link them with private sector businesses.”
He emphasized that incentivizing agricultural education is not a luxury but a necessity for ensuring food security.
The Feed Ghana Programme, launched on April 12, 2025, aims to modernize agriculture, enhance food security, create jobs, and foster agro-industrial development. The program includes strategic plans to boost vegetable production, develop the poultry industry, and invest in livestock and tree crop value chains.
Agriculture is a vital sector of Ghana’s economy, but it faces a significant challenge: many young people are turning away from farming because the sector is often perceived as labor-intensive, low-status, and unprofitable.
Many youth view agriculture as a last resort, preferring white-collar jobs or other industries that offer better pay and working conditions.
According to a recent survey, 70% of Ghana’s youth do not consider agriculture a viable career option. This trend has serious implications for the country’s food security and economic development. To reverse it, Prof. Ansah believes that agricultural students must be incentivized to pursue careers in the sector.
AM/