Finance Minister Dr Cassiel Ato Forson said on the Citi Breakfast Show that commercial agriculture is the key to solving Ghana’s youth unemployment crisis. He added that the sector has the capacity to employ a significant portion of the population if it is properly developed and commercialised.
In his remarks, the minister cited government diagnostics that identified agriculture as the only sector capable of employing the majority of Ghanaians. He urged a shift from peasant to commercial farming, noting that local production of rice, poultry, palm oil and sugar could generate substantial jobs and reduce the country’s import bill.
Forson highlighted the planned Pwalugu Dam project, which will irrigate 25,000 hectares and create a major vegetable enclave. The initiative is expected to boost tomato and onion production, cut the need for imports from Burkina Faso, and generate 70 megawatts of electricity for nearby industrial activities. The enclave would also foster food processing, preservation and other value‑adding enterprises, expanding employment across the agricultural value chain.
He questioned why youth unemployment remains a concern in a country with ample arable land, water resources and favourable weather for farming.
