Go into Agriculture – Minister Urges Students

The Deputy Minister of Gender, Children and Social Protection, Madam Gifty Twum Ampofo, has called on all school heads, teachers and parents to help dispel the notion contained in the minds of children and students that farming and agriculture is an occupation is a low job for dropouts or illiterates.

She said this wrong impression about farming has been allowed to persist unchecked for far too long and is being adopted by the current generation’s crop of students.

Addressing a gathering of students and heads of institutions at the award ceremony for the Blue Skies Foundation best school farm of the year in Koforidua, Madam Gifty Twum Ampofo called on students to embrace modern trends of agriculture and consider venturing into it full time.

” Some years ago people had the idea and believe that agriculture was for only illiterates but I want to state clearly that agriculture is a venture for the literates in the world now. By the grace of God the weather we have here supports every crop or food item we want to cultivate. We have been blessed to the extent that we do not need too much technology to grow crops and stuff.”

“The future is in your hands so please cease all the opportunities at your disposal. When you go home for vacation, use your time to do some planting for foods and jobs. Do your best with the free shs and use your leisure time wisely just as Blue Skies are encouraging students into agriculture.”

The Abuakwa North Member of Parliament also called on schools in the country to start cultivating food crops in order to augment dinning meals in their schools.

“I want to also state that Blue Skies Company Limited will continue to collaborate and partner with government through the Ministry of Agriculture and Education to support schools in the country to at least have a crop or two they will cultivate on their own to even support their own meals at the schools dining halls.

“If the kids get to realize what really went into the meal, they will get to appreciate the farmers, the kitchen staff and appreciate those who contributed as they eat the food with pride. We do not need big or huge acres of land before we can cultivate something, just simple things like bottles, flower beds, sacks can be used to cultivate something.”

---citinewsroom