Minister Charges Youth to Embrace Agriculture
...Launches AgTractive Campaign and Youth Xplore App
The Minister for Youth Development and Empowerment, George Opare Addo, has underscored the need for greater youth participation in agriculture, describing the sector as a profitable and transformative venture capable of accelerating national development.
Speaking at the launch of the Youth Tracker/Youth Xplore App and the AgTractive Campaign, the Minister noted that research by the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) indicates that every dollar invested in sustainable agriculture can yield up to US$16 in return.
The AgTractive Campaign, a nationwide initiative under AGRA’s Youth Entrepreneurship for the Future of Food and Agriculture (YEFFA) programme and implemented in partnership with the Mastercard Foundation, seeks to reshape perceptions of agriculture.
It aims to promote the sector as a modern, innovative, and lucrative career path for young people.
According to Mr. Opare Addo, the campaign challenges the long-held view of agriculture as low-status work and instead highlights its technological and entrepreneurial dimensions.
He explained that the Youth Tracker/Youth Xplore App is equipped with advanced analytics designed to interpret low-crowd data, labour market trends, regional dynamics, and national priorities.
The App, he said, goes beyond storing information by analysing data, generating insights, and informing policy decisions to ensure youth interventions remain effective and responsive.
“With this App, opportunities will no longer depend on personal connections. Every young person will have equal access to employment and development pathways,” he stated.
The Minister called on all stakeholders to support youth development efforts and commended AGRA for its “invaluable contribution” to the creation and rollout of the digital platform.
The Chief Director of the Ministry, Emma Ofori-Agyemang, reiterated that one of the Ministry’s core mandates is to coordinate youth programmes and harmonise all youth-focused interventions across sectors.
She said the new digital platform will serve as a central hub providing young Ghanaians with direct access to job opportunities, employment pathways, and essential development resources.
She stressed the importance of building systems that offer real and measurable opportunities for young people, adding that the App consolidates all youth initiatives onto a single platform for effective coordination, exploration, and monitoring.
The Country Director for AGRA Ghana, Dr. Betty Annan, emphasized that the AgTractive Campaign is designed to make agriculture more appealing to the youth.
Agriculture, she said, has evolved from a subsistence activity into a sector driven by innovation, technology, entrepreneurship, and significant economic potential.
She added that the campaign will connect young people interested in agriculture to the support systems and opportunities needed to grow and succeed within the sector.
