Youth missing in agriculture
The disinterest in agriculture by Namibia's youth will slow technological advancement in the industry and place food security at risk.
Although between 60 to 70% of Namibians are under the age of 35, the country's agriculture sector predominantly relies on the old and infirm, as young people seek opportunities in the growing urban areas.
This is according to the Youth in Agriculture Report released by Namibia Economic Development Alignment.
According to the report the youth's exodus out of rural areas also means an exit from agriculture.
“It condemns Namibia to a future without successors to the agricultural producers of food, fibre and fuel. Youth also have more education than the elders being left on the land. If they were engaged, they would have a greater capacity to learn and apply modern yield-enhancing technologies, technologies for processing, and new century management methods to apply to the entire value chain from farm to market,” says the report.
Furthermore, a loss of youth also means a loss of opportunities to modernise, to become more productive and to compete successfully in a globalised world. To fail in having youth excited about agriculture and energetically involved in it is to condemn Namibia to food insecurity, poverty and continued reliance on costly imports and charitable food aid.
Most farmers are ageing, as youth find little to attract them into an economic activity based on back-breaking labour, and one little infused with modern technologies that can interest and challenge them. The industry is also subjected to high risks of climate and unstable markets, and is often only poorly profitable.
According to the report, some of the reasons why the youth may not be interested in agriculture is because there is a perception that the sector is at risk from natural calamities, markets that fail, or are unstable and bring little profit.
Also access to land is problematic for youth and in almost all cases the land is controlled by old people and inheritance practices tend to restrict benefit to perhaps an eldest child, says the report.
Access to other resources is also very problematic, especially funding.
“Messages about government and other efforts to support youth are rarely targeted at them, for them to access the help.”
Of post-land reform funding initiatives only 6% reached youth and women, according to the report.
It was also noted that the youth lack technical skills. The report says in Namibia, agriculture hardly features in schools. “Even those who study agriculture prefer to be technicians advising farmers and not farming themselves.”
However, the report made no clear reference to the total numbers of youth in agriculture, either as wage earners or own entrepreneurs. There was also very limited indication of how youth numbers compare to the elderly or adult numbers in agriculture.
ELLANIE SMIT
This is according to the Youth in Agriculture Report released by Namibia Economic Development Alignment.
According to the report the youth's exodus out of rural areas also means an exit from agriculture.
“It condemns Namibia to a future without successors to the agricultural producers of food, fibre and fuel. Youth also have more education than the elders being left on the land. If they were engaged, they would have a greater capacity to learn and apply modern yield-enhancing technologies, technologies for processing, and new century management methods to apply to the entire value chain from farm to market,” says the report.
Furthermore, a loss of youth also means a loss of opportunities to modernise, to become more productive and to compete successfully in a globalised world. To fail in having youth excited about agriculture and energetically involved in it is to condemn Namibia to food insecurity, poverty and continued reliance on costly imports and charitable food aid.
Most farmers are ageing, as youth find little to attract them into an economic activity based on back-breaking labour, and one little infused with modern technologies that can interest and challenge them. The industry is also subjected to high risks of climate and unstable markets, and is often only poorly profitable.
According to the report, some of the reasons why the youth may not be interested in agriculture is because there is a perception that the sector is at risk from natural calamities, markets that fail, or are unstable and bring little profit.
Also access to land is problematic for youth and in almost all cases the land is controlled by old people and inheritance practices tend to restrict benefit to perhaps an eldest child, says the report.
Access to other resources is also very problematic, especially funding.
“Messages about government and other efforts to support youth are rarely targeted at them, for them to access the help.”
Of post-land reform funding initiatives only 6% reached youth and women, according to the report.
It was also noted that the youth lack technical skills. The report says in Namibia, agriculture hardly features in schools. “Even those who study agriculture prefer to be technicians advising farmers and not farming themselves.”
However, the report made no clear reference to the total numbers of youth in agriculture, either as wage earners or own entrepreneurs. There was also very limited indication of how youth numbers compare to the elderly or adult numbers in agriculture.
ELLANIE SMIT
Comments
Namibian Sun
No comments have been left on this article