Farmers of the Future-FG set to provison 700,000 youth farmers for AgriBusiness

A new government plan, "Youth in Agriculture", is expected to create jobs for youth.

The Federal government is currently developing a presidential initiative aimed at creating 700,000 young commercial farmers in the agricultural sector of the country, the minister of agriculture said.

Adewumi Adesina, disclosed this in Akure, Ondo State when he delivered a Foundation Day Lecture of the Federal University of Technology Akure, FUTA.

He said the initiative tagged "Youth in Agribusiness" is meant to attract the youth into agriculture. Mr. Adesina said that the governments at all tiers need to create jobs for many unemployed youth; and the agriculture sector holds the greatest potential to create millions of jobs.

"These will be farmers of the future, under mechanized agriculture, who will make Nigeria's agriculture competitive for decades into the future," he said.

The minister said the Federal Government would work in partnership with the state governments to put in place technical training facilities, business skills acquisition centers and entrepreneurship development centers in order to achieve the objective.

He challenged universities and especially faculties of agriculture on the need to wake up to the reality around them.

The minister lamented that agriculture graduates rather than practice what they were taught in schools run away from the profession and look for jobs in other areas.

"Agriculture is changing rapidly. Today, only countries that move into commercial agriculture and agriculture as business have a chance compete. We must change the way we train students, what we train them and what we prepare them for. http://allafrica.com/stories/201305200966.html