Speaking in the same session, Professor Ramatu Al-Hassan, of the department of agribusiness and agriculture economics at the University of Ghana, said: “it’s important to support young people to take advantage of agricultural opportunities in Africa.”

That will involve breaking the myths around agriculture in Africa which portray it as a fall-back profession when other career avenues fail. According to Dr Kojo Dapaah, that could be broken by public and private players in the sector demonstrating that there is money in agriculture.

Among the ways the detrimental attitudes can be broken are through education, and by showcasing young people who have excelled in agriculture in the continent as worth emulating. A case was cited of a young engineer in Ghana encouraging young people in the country to embrace a career in agriculture, which he himself has pursued successfully.

Picture: Dr Namanga Ngongi, AGRA