| Obasanjo: Image of farmer is not glamorous | Send to a friend |
| Saturday, 04 September 2010 20:53 |
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Former Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo has said the image of an Afican farmer is not promising and blamed the image to the shunning of the agricultural sector by most youth. Mr Obasanjo said the farmer could not be compared to other professionals that retain the allure among the young generation. “It’s not a particularly glamorous image… It’s not the same image as a footballer. It’s not the same image as a rapper,” he said, adding that he is happy to describe himself as a farmer. He said there is stigma about agriculture in Africa and that contributes to the young and educated people to try to distance themselves from farming as a profession. “We need to change the perception of our young people,” he said during the last day of a conference in Ghana by leaders across the continent to discuss agriculture. The former UN Secretary general, Mr Kofi Annan, said the road towards agricultural revolution remains blocked by a number of factors including the perception of agriculture amongst the young and urban-employed. President of International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), Mr Kanayo Nwanze, said more women should be brought into influential positions in agriculture. “The role of women in agriculture must be given more priority.” Mr Sylvia Matthews Burwell of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation said women should be part of each step of the value chain. Questions from the plenary audience injected new views on how to boost agriculture. The mechanised agricultural equipment market in Africa is the same size as in 1975, said one delegate, proposing that new investment be allocated in tractors and other machines. In the afternoon and evening, representatives from government, development organisations and the finance sector, discussed how to create the right environment for investment and how to reduce the cost of finance for smallholder farmers. A series of breakout parallel sessions considered how to make value chains work, improve fertilizer supply and build a vibrant and competitive seed sector in Africa. Into the early evening, delegates convened special interest networking groups to discuss how to progress purposeful partnerships in Africa. Injaro Investments hosted an evening launch event for the West Africa Agricultural Investment Fund, which invests in seed producers and distributors in West Africa. Add this page to your favorite Social Bookmarking websites           |
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