Dear Editor,
FARMING is business and as such, people particularly the youth should venture into agriculture business. It is true to mention here that there is high unemployment levels in the country.
The tertiary learning institutions – colleges and universities – churn out graduates in various professions year in and year out. These graduates have great expectations of getting employed so that they can apply their acquired skills in various fields.
But the harsh reality is that not every graduate would be employed owing to the fact that there are limited job opportunities in the formal sector.
In view of this, it is imperative that the unemployed youth should venture into agriculture business commonly known as agribusiness.
Agriculture is broad. Agriculture is categorised into crop farming, animal husbandry, poultry farming and horticulture.
Crop farming is one which involves the growing of crops such as maize and vegetables like rape, among others. These crops can be grown during the rainy season or during the dry season through irrigation.
Animal husbandry is the type of farming which involves the keeping of animals such as cattle, goats, sheep and pigs. When the number of animals increases, some of them can be sold as live and others as meat to raise money.
Poultry farming involves the keeping of chickens. These chickens can be sold so as to raise money which can be used in other business ventures as a way of reinvestment.
Horticulture is the growing of fruits such as oranges and lemons, among otherss. These fruits can be consumed by the entrepreneurs and the surplus sold to potential buyers.
Farming is no longer the preserve of the old people because the youth can also venture into farming and become financially independent.
The youth can form a cooperative society and apply for empowerment funds from the government. They can also borrow money from the microfinance institutions where the terms and conditions are quite flexible. This will enable them to start business enterprises of their own preference.
The government through the Ministry of Small and Medium Enterprise should create an enabling environment so that the unemployed youth can be assisted.
The cardinal point is whether the youth are working or not, agribusiness is the way to go and it is an alternative source of revenue. Additionally, there should be a mindset change among the youth by dispelling the notion that going to school guarantees them a white collar job. This is not always the case.
There is so much arable land on the outskirts of Lusaka. All that is required is to follow the necessary procedures to acquire land.
ELEMIYA PHIRI,
Lusaka.
