YFarm Youth Agric Festival 2017

The YFarm Youth Agric Festival was organised to promote youth agric enterprises, build capacities of young people in the agric sector and engage with relevant stakeholders. The organizers goal was to promote a youth-led agribusiness society, reduce poverty and increase active youth participation in agriculture. to this end members of YPard Nigeria actively participated in the proceedings.

 

The organizers were out to provide a unique platform to support the Nations youth employment in agriculture program , advocate for increased public investment in small scale agriculture for youths and women, promote mentoring and business opportunities for young farmers and agropreneurs.

 

Various stake holders were in attendance and Ypard Nigeria was of the opinion that since agriculture is the predominant source of livelyhood for the poor, a youth led agricultural development offers the most straight forward means of escaping hunger and poverty. we met and discussed with young people who were interested in agriculture, and discussed various opportunities in the agric value chain. Having young people participate in agriculture requires more than training and seminars, the place of mentoring and empowerment must not be overlooked and having stakeholders come together and discuss possible methods of bringing about positive impact is a way to go in achieving positive results.

 

Programs like this help connect young people in agriculture, enable them to rub minds, build their network and connect. The YFarm team lead by Nkiruka Nnaemego noted that the they are out to promote agriculture as a fun activity, culture, career and business among rural and peri-urban youth across Africa. she said the themes: "Youth at the Center of Agribusiness in Africa" and "Naija jams for food" for the year was coined to be inline with the 2017 African year of youth "Harnessing Demographic dividends through investment in youth". She said the YFarm project was put together to establish, promote and celebrate at least 10000 youth-led climate smart farms and a

 

Mr Bola Adedugbe the spokes man of Ypard was of the opinion that if agriculture in Africa is to be transformed to achieve food security, drive economic growth and improve living standards, agribusiness must be the tool that would boost the entire value chain.

 

5 out standing youths in Agribusiness were recognized and awarded, various delegates from different Organizations gave good will messages and young farmers and agripreneurs connected and discusses various opportunities in the sector.

 

Attendance was massive with professionals from various sectors and other African countries in attendance. YPard Nigeria is proud to have participated and we hope to have more programs of such over time and we congratulate the organizers and hope that they continue to impact young people in agriculture and create channels for growth and development in agribusiness.

 

 

Akinremi Julian

YPard Local Rep