WHY I WILL NOT CONSIDER CAREER IN PRIMARY AGRICULTURE EVEN WITH USD 50,000 Hayford M. Ayerakwa Agric. Economics & Agribusiness, University of Ghana

Three Main Questions  Will you accept an offer of USD to go into primary agriculture?  If yes, what will you consider producing and why?  If no, why?

Background  The literature is very clear about the challenge of youth in agriculture  This posses a considerable threat to national and global food security  Of course, governmental policies are making some attempts to address these challenges  For example, the literature estimates the average age of a cocoa farmer in Ghana to be 56 years  What will have to coca production in the next 15 years?

Group One: Yes I will  “ Right now vegetable fetches so I will go into vegetable cultivation…and I will also consider fish farming” Student, FLPM, UDS  “…Pig production because there's so much demand. Health-wise, pork is better than beef and other animal protein sources” Graduate from CAC, UG

 Mr. Ayerakwa, first and foremost its a desire to enter into agriculture business one day. Secondly, when the desire coupled with the needed hard work, resilience and effort and support, one can accrue a lot of revenue because agric really thrives in our part of the world….Also, it also helps to increase the national food basket and to augment national food security. Graduate of CUC

A common theme  One central theme that cuts across is the profitability of the investment.  Profitability is also a function of several other variables

Why I will not accept the offer

Poor Infrastructure Support System MARKET:  The question of who to sell to  When to sell the produce and at what price?  What to do to the surplus

Poor Infrastructure Support System What happens to weather volatilities?  Lack of irrigation facilities  Poor road network system  Unequal development across the country including Mobile and Internet connectivity.  How do you maintain or manage the social network in your life?  What about your children’s education?

Other Constraints to Youth in Agriculture  Lack of Productive labour  Rural-Urban Migration is no longer a seasonality problem  Difficulty in getting approved and required agrochemicals  Access to large tracts of land still a major challenge in most part of Ghana

Thank you