The Speaker of Parliament, Alban Sumana Kingsford Bagbin, has called on African governments to focus on innovation and technology in farming if Africa is to attain its potential as the world’s food basket. He was speaking at the Convention and 30th anniversary of the Council of Ewe Associations of North America (CEANA) in Atlanta, Georgia, under the theme ‘Empowering our youth toward innovative entrepreneurship in transformational agriculture’.
The Speaker said technologies such as GPS, sensors, drones, and data analytics must be deployed in agriculture to optimise resource use, monitor crop health, and improve yields. It will also enable the youth in agriculture to make informed decisions based on reliable data, reduce waste, and increase efficiency.
He insisted that today’s youth are technologically savvy, making the crude approach to farming a turn-off for them. “If governments direct resources into modernising agriculture and infusing technology into farm practices, more youth will opt for the sector. This will address the challenges of feeding a global population sustainably, create economic opportunities for rural communities and transform how we produce, distribute and consume food,” he said.
Innovation in agriculture, he said, should target waste reduction and think-through the perennial glut of farm produce, the horribly low prices during the glut, how farm produce is left to rot – only to be followed by a season of scarcity. That, he said, should inform the approach to managing post-harvest losses and supporting agro-businesses to mitigate such losses.
Mr. Bagbin suggested that marketing farm produce could also do with innovation, as this can support local economies in Africa, reduce food miles, and enhance effectiveness of the food supply chain. Moreover, the youth-farmers will generate more returns on their investment and re-invest in their farms.
To attract the youth into agriculture, he called for policies that promote secure land tenure and access for the youth.
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