He is working as a farmer, and even dresses like a farmer - but then the overalls and hat do not quite fit: too tight, too new, not clothes in which he looks comfortable.
When we meet, in the hill-country north of Thessaloniki, Mr Loukas is keen to show me his new crop - squash or kolokithi as they call it.
BAAN KHLONG KHOO, Thailand — During 18 years living across the road from rice paddies, Malinee Khammon has never planted a single seedling. The daughter of farmers who is in her last year of high school, she has become adept at deflecting increasingly desperate pleas from her parents for help on the farm.
“It’s hot and exhausting — I don’t like it,” Ms. Malinee said recently as she downloaded photos from her camera onto a computer at the local community center. “I’d rather stay indoors.”
Nothing had prepared him for what would come out of the business plan writing competition. After all the entries in the Enablis Business Launch Pad business idea competition had been evaluated, Samson Gichia emerged winner in the Green and Ecological solutions category.
This award, recognising the huge potential in his biogas project of providing clean and renewable energy, was sponsored by Inoorero University. This gave him the motivation he needed to grow his business in provision of energy from his biogas business at his Ruiru-based premises.
Farmers Day is here with us again. It’s been celebrated for the last 26 years, and now the 27th celebration is here. Congratulations to all our gallant farmers and various stakeholders who have made the day a success over the years.
But as we mark Farmers’ Day this year, one thing that occupies my mind as a student of agriculture, is the lack of enthusiasm among most young people, particularly colleagues of mine, for careers in agricultural production. In Ghana, we have over 60 percent of our population engaged in Agriculture, most of them peasant farmers, growing only a few hectares of land. The larger part of the 60 percent figure are uneducated rural people, who really do not take farming as a business venture, but as a way of life, hence hardly attach the needed diligence required for successful farming operations, and are under performing. But the fact is that the very few educated; industrious, and entrepreneur minded farmers, are doing very well; harvesting thousands of hectares of cash crops, fruits and vegetables for export to the European and American markets. They operate mechanized farms, invest in the services of Extension Officers, install irrigational facilities, and put proper structures in place to prevent post harvest loses, and thus are making good returns on their investments.
Everyday the population of Nigeria increases. An international survey on African nations population indicates that in 2030, Nigeria’s population, which now stands at 158 million, would hit a staggering 300 million. This data, in relation to today, speaks of the need to urgently find solutions to the eradication of food insecurity and poverty with various dynamic and strategic policies, programmes etc. to bring about social and economic development that can be sustainable. However, there is a big problem to food security solutions from agriculture.
Another report shows that the average age today of a farmer in Nigeria is between 55 and 60 years and by the year 2030 will rise to between 75 and 80 years. The question that comes to mind is what quantity of food can this old farmers produce for such a rising population by the year 2030 and beyond?
Last month the International Monetary Fund told the UK government to pull up its economic socks. In addition to recommending more monetary and credit easing, the IMF signalled that unemployment – including youth unemployment – was still too high. The level of youth unemployment – high on the UK political agenda since it rose to 1 million in late 2011 – is accepted to be an important development indicator because of the associated present and future economic costs and social impacts.
Youth unemployment is a global issue. The International Labour Organisation (ILO)’s latest report on Global Employment Trends for Youth, published on 22 May, indicated that nearly 75 million youth are currently unemployed around the world, an increase of more than 4 million since 2007.
Africa’s fast growing cities present a major opportunity for the continent’s agricultural sector, says Amine Tazi-Riffi, a senior partner at McKinsey & Company.
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