Professor appeals to the youth to into farming

Accra, Dec 10, GNA - Prof Kwame Afreh-Nuamah, Director of the Institute of Agricultural Research of the University of Ghana, Legon, has appealed to the youth to use their skills acquired in agriculture to produce enough food to feed the people.

Prof Afreh-Nuamah said the youth had to take agriculture seriously especially farming.

He said this when addressing 55 farmers in the 20th graduation ceremony of the Leventis Foundation Farmers Training Programme which was held at the University of Ghana Agricultural Research Centre. Prof Afreh-Nuamah advised the farmers to put into practice what they had learnt in the programme to enable the people know much about agriculture to attract many people into the sector.

He commended the Leventis Foundation Programme for providing the school, office block, livestock and production houses, vehicles and annual recurrent grants to run the school since it was established in 1989. Prof Afreh-Nuamah said the programme started with 13 farmers and it has trained over 700 farmers across the country and expressed the hope that the training programme would continue.

Mr Ken Quartey, the Managing Director of Sydals Farms Limited, commended Leventis Foundation, London, for their support for the programme and for increasing its sponsorship in grass cutter production and fish farming.

He said as trained farmers their activities in their communities should encourage the people most especially the youth to go into agriculture. Some of the farmers received certificates and cash awards for their hard work and discipline.

Dr Augustine Naazie, Head of the University of Ghana Research Centre, commended the University and Leventis Foundation and appealed to the government and stakeholders to help the Centre to take back land that has been encroached on.

He said the activities of the encroachers have not been helping the smooth running of the Centre. 10 Dec 09