AGRICULTURAL YOUTH SENSITIVE POLICIES: THE WAY FORWARD IN ENHANCING YOUTHS INCLINATION TOWARDS AGRICULTURE

Thesis Overview

<p></p><p><b>1.0 INTRODUCTION</b></p><p><b>1.1 BACKGROUND STUDY</b></p> <p>Agriculture is a known profession in Nigeria and the largest employer of labour in the country. Yet from observation, most people practicing it as a means of livelihood are often the old and uneducated youths. The youth at present, constitute about 60% of Nigeria’s population and have over the years made significant contributions to National Development (Vision 2010 report, 2005). </p> <p>The poor state of youth participation in agricultural activities in Nigeria has been a matter of great concern among agriculturists, agricultural researchers as well as administrators. The decline in the number of students entering the field of agriculture has been on the rise over the years, many students unfortunately look down on agriculture, even despising it, hence resulting in non-challant attitude towards Agriculture. &nbsp;Agricultural transformation will not take place in developing countries such as Nigeria unless there is improved technical knowledge and willingness of youth to be in the sector. Idachaba (1995). &nbsp;</p> <p>As a result of the main focus of Nigerian economy on oil, while agriculture is neglected, youths do not tend to see any potential in agriculture. Hence, a lot of young people have no interest in farming because they don’t see it as a lucrative business (Mohammed-Lawal et al, 2009). According to Abdulsalam-Saghir et al (2008), the youth see agricultural practice as inferior, unfulfilling and very hard. There is an urgent need to address the issue so as to change the negative view of youth towards agriculture and encourage them to embrace the vocation. This is because the development and future of agriculture like other sectors of life depends on the youths. Youths have the potential to overcome some of the major constraints to expanding animal production in developing countries such as pest control, feeding, genetic improvement and protection against predators because they are often more open to new ideas and practices than adult farmers. They play an important role in awareness raising on different subjects (Ijere, 1992). </p> <p>Mobilizing the youths for national development is a common phenomenon amongst the western and developing countries. In such countries as Great Britain, Netherlands, Denmark, Germany, the United States of America and Tanzania, the involvement of youths in agricultural production through youth programmes had contributed significantly to agricultural development and empowering the citizenry and youths to always meet the full needs and deep seated aspiration to be self sufficient in food production (FAO, 1990). Indeed, since the youths are the future of any country, it is useful to develop them into patriotic citizens, future progressive farmers and better citizens.</p> <p><b>1.2 CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK AND DEFINITIONS</b></p> <p>A lot of scholars have different views about the group that constitute youth and as a result of this, it is not an easy task to define or identify who is a youth. Eremie (2002) described youth as a state or time of being young, a transition between childhood and adulthood. Similarly, Gwarry et al (2008) described youth as a state of transition between children and adulthood characterized by energy, intelligence and hope. According to Ijioma and Ibezim (2010) youth is a stage in one’s life when one is agile, energetic, determined and adventous in experimenting different perspective of life. They further stressed that youths have high enthusiasm and learn very fast. They are prone to innovativeness, less risk-shy and eager to change. Nwachukwu (2008) defined youth as people within the age of 15 and 24 years, Adegboye et al (2010) considers a youth to be anybody between 12 and 30 years of age. According to Onuekwusi (2005) the youths have been identified as contributing the major resource base for any country who wants to embark on any meaningful agricultural and rural development projects. This is because they can easily develop the skills, knowledge and attitude that enable them to take an active role in the society.<b> </b>Adegboye and Eniolorunda (2006) opined that incorporating youths in agricultural production will facilitate capacity building and empowering them for agricultural productivity which will predispose them to a favorable attitude and future career in agriculture. </p> <p><b>1.3 INADEQUACIES OF PAST AGRICULTURE POLICIES AND PROGRAMMES</b></p> <p>Earlier attempts at improving agricultural production in Nigeria such as the operation feed the nation, the green revolution programme and other laudable interventions in the agricultural sector emphasized increased production without commensurate efforts at post-harvest management and industrial utilization. Most of them handled the various aspects of the post-harvest system such as processing, packaging, marketing, storage, distribution and transportation in isolation from one another. There was no effort to make the system comprehensive and holistic in its management.</p> <p>Also, industrial utilization of agricultural commodities is constrained by inadequate linkage of agriculture to industrial sector. Each programme followed haphazard implementation that creates more problems without achieving anticipated goals. Although, most of the programmes yielded seasonal increases in agricultural output, inefficient and ineffective post-harvest management and generally low level of industrial utilizations have always resulted in substantial agricultural wastages, food losses, reduction in available food, restriction in its spread over the year, and also reduction in employment and rural income.</p> <p>The difficulty confronting the local industrial utilization of agricultural commodities is how to initiate and sustain the momentum for diversification of raw agricultural commodities into agro-industry for transformation into high value added products in order to realize and optimize high growth potential that undoubtedly exists in agricultural commodities. This remained worrisome by the dilapidating state of rural infrastructures that hampered effective linkage of agriculture to the industry. This undoubtedly makes investment unattractive to the private sector and thus limiting agricultural development in the country.</p> <p>Excessive dependence on a narrow range of products as sources of income and foreign exchange earnings bring about a number of unfavourable consequences on the economy. Firstly, it exposes farmers unduly to the vagaries of climate, pests and diseases and to price fluctuations. Secondly it leads to fluctuations in farm income and government revenue. Thirdly, it contributes to environmental degradation. Fourthly, it may result in failure to take advantage of complementarities (e.g. between livestock and crops) and has negative effects on diet, food security and welfare of Nigerians.</p> <p>In addition, an adverse international term of trade facing the primary agricultural commodity sector is a further constraint to growth of the sector. There is a clear need to diversify production and export base, both horizontally and vertically, from low value added to high value added products.</p> <p>High growth potentials and opportunities available in diversifying agricultural commodities to agro-industry for generation of high value added products had been limited and thus underexploited in Nigeria due to irregular supply of raw materials from the agricultural sector to the agro-industrial firms. Available evidence depicts that there had been poor linkage of agricultural sector to the industrial sector. This had aggravated the low domestic utilization of agricultural commodities by the agro-allied firms, which is being reflected by a general decline in the average capacity utilization rates by the firms. For instance, average capacity utilization rates had declined from 54.3per cent in 1980 to 19.0 percent in 2005 in cocoa confectionary industry.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><b>1.4 AGRICULTURE POLICIES AND PROGRAMMES THAT WILL ATTRACT YOUTHS MUST ENSURE THE FOLLOWING: </b></p> <p><b>1.4.1 SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURAL INFRASTUCTURE</b></p> <p>Sustainable agricultural development in developing countries like Nigeria to uplift young small-scale farmers and create sustainable rural economy requires access to productive infrastructures such as land, roads, electricity, marketing facilities, irrigation facilities, specialized agricultural careers across the value chains, etc. &nbsp;Access to land for example is extremely important for young people trying to earn a livelihood in agriculture Land access is not only the number one requirement for starting farming, but it can also contribute to household food security and is a means for employment creation and income generation. Youth from all around the world see secure access to land as fundamental for entering farming. The sector is seen as highly unattractive due to ignorant assumptions which often times limit it to labour intensive engagement; ignoring many other professional and entrepreneurial opportunities across the value chain (Obert, 2012). Promotion and support of advocacy work that is aimed at creating entrepreneurial awareness among youths about countless opportunities existing across the value chain remains paramount. </p> <br><p></p>