Where are the new generation farmers?

Reports have it that most farmers in the country are ageing fast and the rate of replacement is very low as the youths are running away from agriculture, even as young farmers trainings are being conducted in various parts of the country to build their capacity and encourage them to embrace farming. After all these empowerment efforts by the government and other stakeholders, the question begging for answer is: Where are the new generation farmers?
Many aged farmers who are presently engaged in farming, especially in the rural areas, do not regret working in the farms as they can reap, at least, for subsistence after hard labour. But what continues to make most Nigerians restless is that the younger generation of Nigerians do not see farming as prestigious, but rather an occupation for the poor and old people.
Looking at it from various perspectives, this disdain for farming by the youths could be ascribed to the fact that most farmers in the country have nothing to show after so many years of toiling. Most farmers in Nigeria are said to be  struggling to meet their daily needs, which is a very strong disincentive for the new generation farmers.
Some Nigerians are saying that the pitiable economic status of the average Nigerian farmer could be blamed on the tedious nature of farm work, which is compounded by lack of access to modern agricultural machinery and equipment.
It is instructive to note that many occupations such as carpentry, designing, welding, weaving and professions like medicine, law, journalism, building among others, have readily available youths to succeed the aged practitioners. But in farming, the reverse is the case as those who studied agriculture from the universities and other higher institutions prefer to work in the banks, oil and telecommunication companies among others.
Lack of mechanised agriculture in the country has remained the major factor scaring away the youths from farming as they are clamouring for the use of modern equipment. They said that the use of obsolete farm tools would make them age fast.
While expressing their worries in an interview with newsmen in Abuja, the concerned youths said that the situation where outdated implements such as hoe, cutlass and axe are still being used for agricultural activities is no longer tenable in any serious economy, saying that government should modernise agriculture as obtains in other parts of the world.
According to the Minister of Agriculture, Dr. Akinwumi Adesina, the federal government is making concerted efforts to get the youths engaged in farming through youth agricultural programme designed for their training and empowerment.
He said youths from various parts of the country are being trained in different areas of agriculture and given grants to establish their own farms, so as to ensure that they remain in the sector and practice farming as business.
The minister also maintains that the issue of mechanised agriculture is being addressed through setting up of “agricultural equipment hiring centres in 80 locations across the country” to reduce the drudgery of farm work and attract the youths to farming.
The current focus on young farmers does not stop at the federal level, but also spreads to various states across the country. Oyo, Imo, Lagos, Kano and Kaduna among other states of the federation have started training young farmers who will succeed the ageing ones.
Recently, Governor Abiola Ajimobi of Oyo State disclosed that the state will train 10,000 youths in agriculture and challenged other stakeholders and partners in the sector to follow suit.
Also speaking to newsmen in Lagos, the state Commissioner for Agriculture, Prince Gbolahan Lawal, at a midterm project review, said that the target beneficiaries of the Commercial Agriculture Development Programme, CAAP,  are the youths.
Prince Lawal stated that the “aim of CAAP is to bring young and energetic youths into the agriculture industry by way of giving them stipends as well as accommodation to encourage them during training exercises.” He also said that plans are underway to give the youths loans and land, thereby ensuring that they practice farming.
Prince Lawal noted that majority of the current farmers in the state are on the ageing side and that urgent action is  needed to make special provision for youths to be part of the project.
The same view was canvassed by Governor Rochas Okorocha of Imo State, at a national dialogue organised by the National Human Rights Commission in Abuja. He advised that agriculture should not be left in the “hands of old farmers alone, but youths in the country should be encouraged to participate massively to save the sector from collapsing.”
  It should be a thing of serious concern for the present administration of President Goodluck Jonathan to ensure that the Agricultural Transformation Agenda (ATA) be implemented in a way that it will create attractive enabling environment for the teeming youths to be really involved in agriculture. Government at all levels should as a matter of urgency make agriculture attractive by providing adequate modern farm machinery and equipment through partnership with the private sector for the farmers.
Apart from that, modern agriculture requires adequate funding to acquire other farm inputs such as seeds, fertilizers, agrochemicals, etc. Anybody venturing into modern farming needs financial support to take-off and grow.
Most countries of the world that have attained greater heights in their agricultural sector give ‘heavy doses’ of accessible soft loans or grants to their farmers to enable them meet financial obligations. Therefore, the Nigerian government needs to borrow a leaf from these countries for the nation’s agricultural sector to be turned around.