On Farmers’ Day, celebrated annually to honor the contributions of farmers and fishers, a compelling discussion unfolded on GBC Radio Central Morning Show, highlighting the urgent need to attract Ghana’s youth to the agricultural sector. The conversation, which took place on Friday, December 5, 2025, featured Engineer Smaila Abubakar, the Chief Executive Officer of Auto Hydro Plant Limited (AHP), and other esteemed panelists, including Prof. Julius Hagan, an animal scientist from the University of Cape Coast’s School of Agriculture, and retired educator Mr Issah Otoo.
Engineer Abubakar proposed that integrating technological innovations into farming practices could alleviate manual labor, making agriculture more appealing to young people. He revealed that AHP has developed a seed planter, a precision agricultural implement designed to sow seeds efficiently and uniformly across fields. This device, which excavates the ground, sows the required seeds, and covers the hole dug, significantly reduces the need for manual labor, allowing one person to plant large fields with ease.
Moreover, AHP has pioneered the Solar Greentech Poultry Cages, already operational in Ghana. These enclosures, according to Engineer Abubakar, are more resilient than Chinese battery cages and can guarantee an egg-laying rate exceeding 90 percent. These technological advancements, he emphasized, are crucial in revolutionizing farming and making it more attractive to the youth.
Prof. Julius Hagan commended Mr Abubakar’s innovative endeavors, noting that the era of farming with hoes and cutlasses is outdated. He emphasized that such traditional farming practices are perceived by the youth as punitive rather than appreciating the commercial aspect of agriculture. To promote agriculture among the youth, Prof. Hagan announced an Agriculture Quiz Competition for select Senior High Schools in the Central Region as part of the School of Agriculture’s 50th Anniversary Celebration. The competition aims to elevate agriculture studies to the standard of the National Science and Maths Quiz, attracting more youthful students to pursue agriculture.
Prof. Hagan also petitioned the government to entrust the UCC School of Agriculture with training and supervising SHS, in line with the government’s plan to implement the school agriculture policy. He emphasized that initiating a government policy is not the challenge; rather, it is ensuring sustainability. He proposed that the School of Agriculture oversee, at the very least, all schools within the Central Region to guarantee the program’s longevity.
Mr Issah Otoo, a retired educator and agriculture enthusiast, echoed the need for improved farming methods, enhanced seeds, and education on reducing or completely banning chemical usage, especially in home gardening. He commended the UCC School of Agriculture initiative, describing it as a game-changer for Ghanaians. He suggested structuring the agriculture competition to involve basic schools to catch students young before they transition into SHS. He also advocated for healthy cultural and management practices, such as weed control, irrigation, or watering instead of herbicides and inappropriate fertilizer application. Additionally, he suggested more training in non-traditional farming, such as mushroom, bee, grasscutter, and snail farming.
The discussion on GBC Radio Central Morning Show underscored the critical need to modernize Ghana’s agricultural sector to attract the youth. By integrating technological innovations and promoting agriculture education, the country can ensure food security and sustain its rural economy. The initiatives discussed, including the Agriculture Quiz Competition and the development of precision agricultural implements, represent significant steps towards revolutionizing farming and making it more appealing to the youth.