By Patricia Kapulula

Lilongwe, December 7, Mana: Government is crafting programmes and projects that would coin important interventions for the youth to fully participate in agribusiness.

Director of Agriculture Extension Services in the Ministry of Agriculture, Pearson Jasi Soko revealed this in Lilongwe on Thursday, during the Youth Engagement in Agripreneurship Stakeholder Validation Meeting.

The meeting released results of a study on Analyzing the Landscape for Youth Agripreneurship in Malawi.

Soko said it is important that youth are offered interventions that would make them take agriculture as a career and a business.

“As a ministry we are programming youth friendly interventions such as provision for grants with special conditions that we take youth groups as collateral.

We are also building capacity in skills by linking the groups with institutions such as Small and Medium Development Institute Enterprises, Lilongwe University of Agriculture and Natural Resources, Malawi University of Science and Technology and other universities to build targeted skills development programmes to groom entrepreneurs in Malawi,” he said.

The study has revealed that youth are associated with quick benefits as such they take agriculture as old fashioned.

According to Soko, the findings are in line with what the country has been observing on youth engagement in agripreneurship.

“We have a number of initiatives in agricultural productivity and commercialisation as Malawi 2063 pillar number one. There is need for youth to fully participate in agriculture to achieve the MW2063. Youth participation in agriculture is not an option,” he said.

Lead Consultant on Analyzing the Landscape for Youth Agripreneurship in Malawi, Amon Kabuli said youth in Malawi lack skills to venture into agriculture as a business.

“We need more partners to invest in skills development such as irrigation, horticulture, marketing and other processes required to take the crop from the farm to the market for the youth to take agriculture as a business,” he said.

Senior Research Fellow for International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI), Dr Kristin Davis said findings of the study have given pathways on how international organisations, government and stakeholders can support youth in agripreneurship in Malawi.

“The perception that farming is old fashioned and dirty makes youth shun it. However, agribusiness and making money, can make youth interested as studies show that youth tend to be more involved in agriculture when there is money to be made hence the need to engage them,” she said.

Senior Researcher for International Water Management Institute (IWMI), Dr Karen Nortje emphasized on the need to harness ideas by the youth saying they are enthusiastic about what they want to do.

One of the youth farmers, Fainess Kazembe from Mambe Club, Traditional Authority Msamala in Balaka appealed to stakeholders to assist them address challenges if the youth are to fully participate and take agriculture as a business.

The club, which has a membership of 30, grows cotton.

“We are facing the financial challenge and also facilities. We use hoes and to cultivate a two-acre field is tough. If there can be tractors to lend it would be better,” she said.