Vice President Mahamudu Bawumia has urged stakeholders in the agriculture value chain to embrace technology and digitalisation to take advantage of the changing dynamics of the industry.
The Vice President expressed excitement about the possibilities available to leverage big data and Artificial Intelligence to bring some certainty into a venture dependent on the weather in Africa.
“The future of agriculture is no more about cutlasses and hoes. The emerging technologies in Artificial Intelligence, blockchain, internet of things, etc are now the way to go to make agriculture smart in conformity to the Fourth Industrial Revolution. This is one of the ways to make agriculture attractive to this new generation.”
Vice President Bawumia made the call during the commissioning of the Siriboe Institute of Agribusiness and Skills Development at Juaben in the Ashanti Region.
The brainchild of Nana Yaw Sarpong Siriboe I, Akyempimhene of Juaben Traditional Area and reigning National Best Farmer, the Institute aims to train and equip students with adequate theoretical and technical skills in agribusiness and entrepreneurship.
It is also intended to empower students to establish and operate their enterprises effectively.
The 700-seater capacity facility, with spaces for formal lectures, demonstrations, and workshops, a creche for young mothers to enable them gain knowledge without sacrificing their maternal obligations, a cafeteria and practical demonstration farm located in the 400-acre Siriboe Farms Complex.
The Institute was established with his prize money (one million Ghana Cedis) for winning the 2022 Best Farmer Award, resources from his farm (Siriboe Farms) and his personal savings, according to Nana Yaw Sarpong Siriboe I, who is the third-youngest person to win the National Best Farmer Award.
Dr Bawumia reiterated the Government’s commitment to providing skills training, especially to the youth.
He lauded the Founder of the Institute for recognizing the importance of skills development, practical training, and hands-on experience for the youth.
“Today, this centre is being opened to offer opportunities for young people who have the desire to engage in smart Agriculture and the skills set needed for the future of work.
“I am particularly delighted with the partnership of this centre with other academic institutions of higher learning and the High Schools. It provides proof that Siriboe Institute of Agribusiness and Skills development is youth focused.
“Within the last seven years the NPP government has put a lot of measures in place to build the Start-up and Entrepreneurship Innovation Ecosystem in Ghana”.
Currently Ghana ranks 99th on the global Innovation index and among the top five robust start-ups ecosystem in Africa.
He said the government had provided support for the youth through Start-ups and MSMEs such as the National Entrepreneurship and Innovation Programme (NEIP), the Ghana Enterprise Agency (GEA), the Youth Employment Agency, the National Youth Authority and other Ministries, department, and agencies.
“The government also has supported 45 Innovation Hubs across the country through NEIP with about US$ 7 million, with this centre we are launching today being part of the beneficiaries of the new NEIP Hubs Grant Programme,”the Vice President stated.
Dr Bawumia challenged the leadership of the Institute to make it a “centre of excellence for agriculture innovation and skills development”, thus, pledged government’s support to achieve the goal.
The ceremony was attended by the Omanhene of the Juaben traditional Area, Nana Otuo Siriboe II, who is also Chairperson of the Council of State; Nana Effah Apenteng, Omanhene of Bompata traditional area; Dr Yaw Osei Adutwum, Minister for Education, Mrs Ama Pomaa Boateng, MP for Juaben; and representatives from the Ministry of Agriculture and the ADB Bank.
