Volta youth laud Eric Opoku for driving Ghana’s agricultural transformation

Volta Youth in Agriculture has congratulated the Minister of Food and Agriculture, Eric Opoku, for his leadership and efforts towards increasing agricultural production and transforming Ghana’s agricultural sector.

The group said the Minister’s focus on increasing food production, supporting farmers, promoting agricultural value chains and creating opportunities for young people to participate meaningfully in agriculture was important to building a productive and sustainable agricultural economy.

In a press release signed by its Public Relations Officer, Joy Fiamawle, on October 7, 2026, the Volta Youth in Agriculture described agriculture as more than an economic activity, saying it remained a major vehicle for job creation, youth empowerment, food security, poverty reduction and national development.

It commended the government for initiatives aimed at improving farmers’ access to agricultural inputs, irrigation, mechanisation, markets, technology and other resources needed to improve productivity.

According to the group, with the right support, young Ghanaians could become the next generation of commercial farmers, agribusiness owners, processors, exporters and agricultural innovators.

The group, however, urged the Ministry of Food and Agriculture to continue prioritising youth-led agriculture, particularly in the Volta Region, which it said had significant potential in crop production, livestock, aquaculture, agro-processing and agribusiness.

It called for a deliberate national programme to support young farmers with access to land, affordable financing, irrigation, improved seeds, mechanisation, extension services, storage and processing facilities, as well as guaranteed markets for their produce.

The Volta Youth in Agriculture further stressed the need to strengthen links between farmers and institutional markets, including schools, hospitals, hotels, restaurants, food processors and other large-scale buyers.

It said such partnerships could provide sustainable markets for locally produced agricultural commodities while encouraging more young people to see farming as a viable business.

The group particularly raised concerns about young people engaged in cassava production, saying some were becoming discouraged because of inadequate markets for their produce.

It therefore called for measures to create reliable markets for cassava farmers and improve opportunities for value addition and processing.

The Volta Youth in Agriculture assured the Minister of its willingness to collaborate with the government and other stakeholders to promote agriculture among the youth.

It said it would continue to champion the message that “agriculture is a business, agriculture is employment, and agriculture is a pathway to prosperity.”

The group expressed confidence that sustained leadership, collaboration and investment could help Ghana reduce its dependence on imported food, increase domestic production and develop a competitive agricultural sector capable of feeding the country and creating wealth.

It again congratulated Opoku on his commitment to agricultural development and said the youth must remain at the centre of Ghana’s agricultural transformation agenda.