Setting The Pace For The Ghanaian Youth To Venture Into Agriculture—Martin Ariku Akudugu Shows The Way

One does not need any oracle to be told that Agriculture plays a vital role in the economic advancement of Ghana as several researches had proven that it is one of the largest contributors to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and export incomes for the country.

Besides, it is one of the major avenues for dealing with the unemployment situation confronting the youth in the country as well as the creating of wealth considering the agriculture value chain of the sector ranging from farming, planting, harvesting, processing, transportation, marketing among others.

Unfortunately, majority of the Ghanaian youth finds it unattractive and unrewarding to venture into the sector probably because of the poor nature of rural agriculture.

For instance according to the Ministry of Food and Agriculture(MOFA), the average farming age in Ghana currently is 55 years as against the life expectancy age average of 55-60 years.

This confirms the fact that it only the older men and women who are mostly engaged in agriculture and therefore making it very difficult for the country to produce sufficiently to feed the nation and to export for foreign exchange.

It is therefore very critical for both the government and the private sector and the individual as a whole to consciously and deliberately put up pragmatic policies and programmes in place to motivate the youth to go into agriculture to help fill the food security gaps in the country

Perhaps it is against this background that the government introduced the youth in agriculture programme to encourage the youth to go into agriculture.

Aside this , one of the Youth who has devoted his entire life into the farming profession and has become inspirational to many youth to go into commercial farming is Mr Martin Ariku Akudugu who hails from the Bazua Community in the Binduri District of the Upper East Region.

Trained as a community worker, Mr Ariku Akudugu abandoned that profession and started as full time professional farmer at the age 27. Mr. Akudugu started farming on a 2 acre piece of land in 2004 near the White Volta basin in the Region and now can boast of over 1148 acres of farmlands including 11 different types of grains and cereals such as maize, soybean, rice, cowpea, millet, sorghum, groundnut, and certified seeds and 6 different type of vegetable including onions, tomatoes, fresh groundnuts, garden eggs and sweet potatoes.

Recognizing the gains chalked from his farming activities , Mr Ariku Akudugu , went ahead to register his outfit as a limited liability company and incorporated it under the laws of Ghana in 2013 with the Registrar General’s department under the companies act 1963 (act 179) with the name Ariku company to make it more vibrant and to attract more support from donor partners.

A visit by the Ghanaian Times to one of the farm sites at Bazua revealed that the Ariku company had also added new lines of businesses including three fishponds, with total stocking rate of over 4,000 and supply the fish to hotels, restaurants and schools in the Region anytime the company harvest the fish.

As a multi-farmer, Ariku farming Company also has 152 guinea fowls birds, 72 cows, 61 sheep and 41 goats and currently also supports over 750 smallholder farmers who work on 800 acres of farmland in 23 communities across the region

Besides, the Ariku company which does an all year round farming is currently supporting about 1,151 out growers with certified seeds as well as grower services in the Binduri District and Bawku Municipality in other to aid and enhance their production.

The founder and the Chief Executive Officer(CEO) of Ariku Company who explained that his outfit had been operating for the past 14 years, said the Company is also into Commercial Seed Production in the areas of maize, soya beans and cowpea as well as commercial warehousing, tractor plough, shelling and irrigation service, commercial farming and commercial extension services .

Apart from the Company operating at Bazua, Binduri and Bawku Municipality, Zebila in the Upper East Region, it is also into cocoa farming at Sefwi in the Western Region of Ghana.

Ariku Company trains Youth in Agriculture

In order to complement government’s efforts to encourage more Ghanaian Youth to take agriculture as a business , the Ariku Company has over the years been providing the platform for the training of the Youth within the age brackets ranging from 19 -40 years from institutions and other organizations including Senior High Schools and Tertiary institutions across the country .

“Agriculture is a sustainable means of livelihood and employment generation looking at the constant and ever expanding chain of Agribusiness. It is for this reason that the Ariku Company is collaborating with other research institutions including the Savannah Agricultural Research Institute (SARI) to advance our course as a youth base organization that is into the encouragement and the empowerment of many Ghanaian Youth to go into commercial farming instead of depending on non-existence white colour jobs “, the CEO of Ariku Company stressed.

Ariku Company generates employment
The Company apart from having engaged 22 permanent staff with majority of them being the youth , it also engages about 120 to 200 community members on daily basis with majority of them being women .

The Company’s permanent staff positions include the Director, Operational Manager, Farm Supervisor, Marketing Officer, Accountant, Assistant Marketing Officer, Operational Assistant, Farm hands, Lab Technician; Seed processing, Tractor and shellers operators, plant operator, Irrigation system operator and Security.

Recognition and Achievements
By dent of his hard work, Mr. Ariku Akudugu had over the years been recognized by many organizations including the MOFA. Whilst he was adjudged by MOFA as the 2010 Upper East Regional Best Farmer, he won the overall Bawku Municipal best farmer in 2008 , the Upper East Regional Best Seed grower in 2013 and the National Seed grower in 2014 respectively.

He was also nominated by Government of Ghana to participate in an agribusiness industrial tour in India in 2012 and also won the second National overall best farmer in 2016. These awards are great testimonies of his extraordinary entrepreneurial skills as well as his dedication services to the communities in which he operates.

According to him what prompted him to go into commercial farming was not only to gain sustainable employment and livelihoods , but to also help address the food security situation in his community and the nation at large particularly malnutrition of children and pregnant women.

Support for farming activities
The CEO of the Ariku Company explained that he was able to go into commercial farming activities through personal savings, support from friends, family members and other development partners like MOFA, USAID ADVANCE, the International Fertilizer Development Center (IFDC), Ghana Commercial Agriculture Project( GCAP), and SARI who provided him with financial assistance, equipment and human resource development.

Net Profit of the Company made from farming

The CEO of the Ariko Company who told the Ghanaian Times that the Company in every farming season is able to break even and make profit, cited for instance that in the year 2015, 2016 and 2017 , the Company made net Profits of GH₵2,945, 385.00, GH₵3,622,823.58 and GH₵4,456,072.77 respectively.

The Future Plans of Ariku Company Limited

The CEO said the Company’s mission is to produce high quality seed products that would be available for all farmers at a competitive price in the near future.

“Our vision is to be the center of excellence for seed production in Ghana and beyond .Due to our steadfastness and determination we are taking it slowly which would include Seed warehousing and a seed cold-room between 2018-2020, acquisition and leasing of 1200 acres land in the Binduri District by 2018-2020, completion of the seed laboratory and Administration block by the year 2018-2020 ”, he indicated.

Whilst commending development partners including the GCAP, IFDC, USAID ADVANCE for supporting the company in the areas of farm implements such as tractors, shellers, warehouses among others, the CEO called on the government and traditional authorities to create the necessary environment for the youth to go into commercial farming.

He cited access to fertile land, credit facility , market, modern farming tools and technologies as some of the major challenges discouraging the youth from venturing into agriculture and entreated the youth never to give up.

“Agriculture can be a gold mine for young entrepreneurs and sustainable means of livelihood as well employment generation for the youth. NGOs and other institutions should help reach out to the youth by providing farmlands and irrigation schemes, farm implements and trainings to aid the youth in their quest of venturing into Agribusiness ”, the CEO stated.

Planting for Food and Jobs
Whilst lauding the government for the Planting For Food and Jobs(PFJs) Programme, the CEO urged government not to interfere in the implementation of the programme but to allow MOFA to implement it.

“We are also calling on the government to as a matter of urgency, support the local seed growers by buying seeds from us and stop the huge importation of seeds that is aiding the collapsing of local seed grower businesses”, he concluded.

As we celebrate this year’s farmers day , let us as youth join the bandwagon of the CEO of Ariku Company , Mr Ariku Akudugu, by also venturing into commercial farming to help ensure food security in the country.