The Chief Executive Officer of Volta Peaks Carbins, John Paul Semavor, has issued a strong call for increased government support to unlock youth participation in agriculture, emphasising that Ghana, particularly the Volta Region, possessed extraordinary agricultural potential that remained largely untapped.

Speaking at the Volta Fair Young Entrepreneurs Forum, Mr Semavor argued that the future of food security, job creation, and national development depended on a modernised, mechanized, and youth-driven agricultural sector backed by targeted state intervention.

According to him, Ghana stood at a decisive moment in its agricultural journey, and the country’s transformation hinged on how effectively it would harness its land resources and crop diversity.

Mr Semavor highlighted what he described as the “untapped agricultural wealth” of the Volta Region, noting that its vast land bank and fertile soils provided a natural platform for large-scale production.

"The possibilities are endless, especially in the Volta Region. Our land bank is vast, and the richness of the soil supports almost every crop you can think of. So the time is now for the youth to recognise that there’s real opportunity here," he said.

He observed that although many young people continued to pursue white-collar jobs that were increasingly scarce, the agricultural value chain offered broader, more sustainable opportunities. 

The CEO noted that even professionals in sectors such as banking were shifting into farming as economic conditions pushed them toward more stable and scalable ventures. 

"It’s not just about wearing shirts and ties. Even today, we have bankers leaving the banking sector to come into farming. That should tell you something. Agriculture is where the real future is," he noted.

While acknowledging the importance of private initiative, Mr Semavor pointed out that government intervention was crucial in bridging the gap between youth interest and meaningful participation in farming. 

He urged government to decentralise agricultural financing and support systems to make them easily accessible across regions.

"Government has to play a huge role in convincing the youth that farming is profitable. We need extra funds, but these funds should be decentralised so every region can access what they need," he said.

Mr Semavor warned that Ghana’s heavy reliance on cocoa may be overshadowing other essential crops with immense domestic value. While recognising cocoa’s importance as a foreign exchange earner, he questioned why staple crops consumed daily by millions did not benefit from similarly structured national support.

He singled out cassava as deserving immediate strategic focus, describing it as one of the most widely consumed crops in Ghana.

“Cassava is in every Ghanaian home. Even if you don’t eat it raw, you eat gari. From secondary school through adulthood, gari is part of our diet," he underlined.

To address this imbalance, he recommended the creation of crop-specific bodies similar to COCOBOD to support the production of cassava, rice, maize, yam, and other staples through input subsidies, guaranteed markets, mechanisation assistance, and structured production systems.

A major bottleneck for young farmers, he said, was the continued reliance on manual labour, which made farming appear tedious and unscalable.

"It’s still tough finding labour, but farming shouldn’t depend heavily on physical strength anymore. Other countries use machines for everything from weeding to harvesting," he remarked.

He added that the high cost of machinery made it impossible for ordinary youth to venture into large-scale agriculture without support.

He further suggested a national system where district assemblies would receive agricultural inputs and equipment much like they already receive machinery for sanitation and public works. This, he said, would remove major barriers for young farmers.

"Not even for free, but subsidised. What we need is a system that removes the barriers. If the youth see that the support is real, they will enter farming without hesitation," he said.

Despite calling for greater government intervention, Mr Semavor urged young people to rethink their perception of farming, emphasising that agriculture today was driven by technology, innovation, and high-profit potential.

"Farming is no longer the hoe-and-cutlass business you knew. It is now technology-driven and highly profitable. The youth must take charge of this opportunity because the future belongs to those who feed the nation," he urged.

He emphasised that with proper policy direction, financing, and mechanisation, agriculture could become the leading employer and engine of economic growth in Ghana.

He expressed belief that if all stakeholders took decisive action, Ghana could reduce food imports, strengthen local economies, empower its youth, and cement its place as a food-secure nation.