(Re-) Connecting the African Youth with viable Agri-business A case study about the involvement of youth in agribusiness in and around woreda Wukro Kilte Awlaelo (Tigray Region, Ethiopia) Made by: Sjors Bijen (MSc graduated (WUR)) Grmay Tsehaye (VHL student) Asmeret Kidane (Research assistant) G/Kidan G/Tsadkan (Research assistant) Research done: 22th July – 15th August 2014
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(Re-) Connecting the African Youth with viable Agri …Re-) Connecting the African Youth with viable Agri-business A case study about the involvement of youth in agribusiness in and
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(Re-) Connecting the African Youth with viable Agri-business
A case study about the involvement of youth in agribusiness in and around woreda Wukro Kilte
Breakthrough on the topic "(Re-) Connecting the African Youth with viable agri-business" during an international expert meeting in Kampala-Uganda (October 2012) Critical conclusions were made: • The youth in Africa is no more interested to venture into farming business. • Agriculture is viewed as the last resort when all other means are dead;
since agriculture is often regarded as "poor-man's” work! As a result, creativity and innovations in the agricultural sector seem to be
hardly possible, which influences the policies in current development programs and policy frameworks.
Problem statement of the research
The low impact of national policies on involving youth in agricultural business: • Rural youth are not included in a common strategy • Youth are not participating in making the policies • Negative framings
The impact of policies (in terms of strategies) of other actors (NGOs, private actors (business people and MFIs) on involving youth in agricultural business • Is not clear
Goal and research question of the research
Goal: “To capture the views and aspirations of the youth towards farming
and life in rural and urban areas in order to know how youth
can be involved in agricultural business.”
Research question: “How can youth be stimulated to do farming as a business?”
Central issues in this research are:
• The supports/strategies of education to involve youth in agribusiness!
• Supports/strategies of relevant involved actors who can support youth to become involved in agribusiness
Using woreda Wukro Kilte Awlaelo as a case
Key research questions
1. What is the perception of youth (students and graduates) in working in agricultural business?
2. How does education support youth to involve them in agribusiness? 3. Who are the important actors that influence youth’s engagement in
productive agricultural business? 4. What kind of support do the important actors provide to involve youth in
agricultural business? (strategies) 5. Which agricultural sectors are at this moment comfortable (profitable)
for youth to become involved in? 6. What are the challenges to involve youth in agricultural business? 7. What is needed to trigger more youth to work in agricultural businesses?
(related question: What is needed to become a successful business man?)
Research area
In and around woreda WUKRO KILTE AWLAELO
Research methodology: Data collection
Interviewed youth: 16 students and 13 graduates of different educational levels: High
school, (A)TVET and universities.
Interviewed key persons: GOs (also federal level), NGOs, MFIs, research and
knowledge institutes and (public-) private business
Organized 2 FGDs with youth: 1 female and 1 male FGD
Organized a validation workshop in Wukro
Reviewing relevant literatures: Like GTP documents
Research methodology: Data analysis & End product
Qualitative data analysis: (1) Perceptions of youth about getting involved in agribusiness (2) Support/strategies of different actors to involve youth in agribusiness (3) Challenges and opportunities for youth to become involved in
agribusiness Output: A recommendation paper about improving the actual economic development programs and policy frameworks regarding engaging youth in productive agricultural business, which can be used for further actions
Main findings are…
1. On perception of youths
2. On influence of education, and challenges
3. On the potential viable agricultural sectors for youth
4. From education to agribusiness, challenges
5. On migration
6. On actors involving youth in agribusiness, and their support
Main findings-1
Perceptions of youth about getting involved in agribusiness
High school students still studying: Little perception/little awareness Looking for the most profitable jobs
(A)TVET/University students still studying: perception is good
Graduates directly after studying, if they get work: perception is very good Most of them would like to involve in GOs and NGOs!
Graduates directly after studying, if they don’t get work: perception is not good
Looking for the most profitable jobs often involved in non-farm activities
Graduates after a few years of work: perception is not good Don’t want to work anymore in agricultural business; look for profitable jobs often
involved in non-farm activities
Main findings-1
Perceptions of youth about getting involved in agribusiness
Important note:
Lack of awareness of youth about the
government policy (Agriculture vs. Technology)
This influences the perception of youth
regarding into which sector the youth involve in
Main findings-2- Education
Knowledge and skills about agribusiness is very important
The more knowledge about agribusiness, the more willingness to involve in
agribusiness AND more able to solve the challenges regarding to
agribusinesses
Most of the students and graduates interviewed didn’t do agricultural
studies!
Due to the policy some youth can’t be involved in their desirable jobs;
students are ‘pushed’ to do certain studies, especially technology, based on
the score of the national examination. (The pyramid model)
Actual policy strategy: 70% involvement in technology, 30%
involvement in other different sectors (in universities)
Main findings-2: Education
Main challenges observed in education: 1. Too little focus on agricultural activities/business at
different levels of education, from elementary school up to higher education (universities)
2. Too little practical training field trips are not often organized due to lack of
per diem (investment of 18 birr per student) lack of demonstration sites 3. Internships/Apprenticeships are not common 4. Lack of important educational materials and
technologies, like PCs, software, etc.
Main findings-3 : Potential viable agricultural sectors for youth
(1) Beekeeping: easily handeling, (local) input materials available, only small amount of land is necessary and there is a good (local and international) end market
(2) Livestock (especially fattening): easily handeling, small amount of land is necessary compared to other sectors, and market is quite good (local)
Note: In a short period of time, only 3 months, you can make profit! Poultry is less profitable/comfortable due to the occurence of
diseases/pests and the management (lack of skills and knowledge) Dairy is less profitable/comfortable due to the need of high initial
capital, the management (lack of skills and knowledge) and the occurence of pest/diseases, like calcium shortage
(3) Vegetables /Cereals/Fruits): need for a lot of land, good irrigation and input materials, including technologies
Main findings -4: From education to agribusiness
Most of the students and graduates would like
to work for GOs and NGOs for a few years to
earn money which they would like to use to
start their own private business
(non agricultural)
Main findings-4: From education to agribusiness
Main challenges for youth to involve in agribusiness are: • Negative perception about involving in agribusiness of youth, parents and
others • Lack of basic farming skills and knowledge • Lack of initial capital to start a business • Negative perception of some youth to take credit: “Risky” and “Affraid” • Credit system is not good (perception of the people)
1. Too little amount of money 2. Interest rate is too high 3. It takes too long time to get credit (bureaucracy)
• Lack of access to land • Lack of sufficient access to farm inputs and technologies • Little risk insurances (organizations start introducing insurances) • Environmental conditions: drought, seasonal (erratic) rainfall and
pests/diseases • Youth lack knowledge about actors involving and supporting youth in
agribusiness
Main findings-5: Migration problem
Most common migration patterns of youth are: rural-urban, urban-rural, rural-abroad, urban-abroad, (rural-rural, urban-urban) Reasons for migration of youth (rural – urban, rural – abroad, urban – abroad) are: • Absence of desirable job opportunities in rural areas • To get/earn money in a short period of time; misperception of youth • Absence of agricultural industries/companies • General dislike of the village life • Poor physical infrastructures • Access to education; not all types of educational levels are available in the
rural areas
Main findings-6: Actors involving youth in agribusiness, and their support
Governmental organizations: Youth office: Organize youth in groups and provide different services to these groups by collaborating with different other responsible organizations Women affairs office: Organize women in groups and provide different services to these groups by collaborating with different other responsible organizations Bureau of education: Provide different kinds of support (formal trainings) up to grade 10/12 SME office: Provide services to business men, mainly the ones who are living in the cities: 65% non-farm businesses, 35% on-farm businesses Rural development and agricultural office/Woreda, DAs and tabia representatives: Provide land, training, input materials and technical supports to people in the rural areas
Main findings-6: Actors involving youth in agribusiness, and their support
Other actors: Schools (Universities, High schools, ATVET, Colleges): Provide the necessary skills and knowledge about different kinds of business (sectors) to youth TARI: Provide training and new technologies and varieties/breeds to different Actors NGOs (like REST, Kidst Mariam, World Vision, etc.): Provide trainings, input materials, technical services, funds, etc. etc.. MFI (Dedebit): Provide loan in cash and in kind; individually and in groups (Public-) private actors, like business people: Provide some technical trainings (experience sharing) and input materials, like chicken and cattle In kind services constructions: E.g. Collaboration between business people and REST/Dedebit REST provides input material to the youth in kind
Results
Agricultural business is at this moment not attractive!
• There is a perception problem of youth (and others) regarding involvement in agribusiness. Including lack of awareness about the policy: Agriculture vs. Technology.
• There is problem with education: Not enough agricultural skills, especially practical, and knowledge is taught to the youth this results in little awareness in the communities about the importance of agribusiness
Results
• Policy problem regarding to involve youth in agribusiness. negative influence of national exam scores on the involvement of youth in desirable jobs
• Little impact of policy regarding involving youth in agribusiness due to: – A lot of actors are trying to involve youth in agribusiness
using their own mandates, own strategies, packages, policies, etc.
– Collaboration and communication between the different actors is not good
– Bureaucracy problems: E.g. the process of taking credit to start a business is long due to the involvement of many actors in this process
MAIN RECOMMENDATION
A new common strategy is needed to solve the big problem of low youth involvement in agribusiness.
Strategy “Youth involvement in agribusiness”
With the slogan:
“PROUD TO BE A FARMER” (For advertising the strategy to the people!)
Youth involvement in agribusiness strategy, Proud to be a farmer:
The strategy has two components: MODELLING/AWARENESS CREATION “changing minds of youth, parents and other people” • Using tangible examples (education, model farmers) for youth to create an image
of their future employment in agribusiness • It is also about solving other related (indirectly) problems like unemployment and
migration of youth POLICY DIALOGUE • Need for specific roles and responsibilities per organization/actor
• Good collaboration and communication (formal) between the different
organizations: – This will result in little bureaucracy and cost reduction/sharing – It will be more attractive for youth to go to the organizations asking for
help/advice (suggestion: introduce the 1 window method)
Youth involvement in agribusiness strategy, specific roles per actor
There are 7 different types of actor, a until g: a. Micro and Small Enterprise (MSE) office: • Should play a coordinating role in involving youth in agribusiness • Need for a structural change at the MSE office: A MSE representative
should be present in the rural areas. This will result in more focus on youth in rural areas • Combining/Connecting on-farm activities (agriculture) and non-farm
activities (technology) regarding to the policy; technology as part of agriculture.
b. Youth office/Women affairs office: • Should play a strategic role in involving youth in agribusiness • Should improve awareness creation regarding to making agribusiness
more attractive, especially to youth (special focus to women)
Youth involvement in agribusiness strategy, specific roles per actor
c. Bureau of education: • Should provide support up to all educational levels, from elementary
school up to higher education instead of only up to grade 10/12 • Should improve the educational curriculum; agricultural courses/trainings
should be given at different educational levels • Should play a bigger role in creating awareness to youth to become
involved in agribusinesses by organizing trainings for the youth d. Schools (Universities/High schools/ATVET): • Should improve awareness creation to make agribusiness more attractive
to their students and graduates AND their parents/relatives – More agricultural courses should be provided to the students at all
different levels of education – More focus on practical education, like field trips and cooperative
Youth involvement in agribusiness strategy, specific roles per actor
e. Rural development and agricultural office/woreda, DAs and tabia representatives: • Improve awareness creation, specially in the rural areas, to involve youth
in agribusiness (on-farm activities), by providing more trainings. • Improve organizing youth in GROUPS more groups should be created • Improve the provision of technical trainings and disseminate input
materials and technologies to the beneficiaries. f. TARI: • Improving collaboration with youth groups:
– Doing more research together with youth – Providing more trainings to youth; experience sharing – Providing new (potential) technologies, input materials
(breeds/varieties) to youth groups
Youth involvement in agribusiness strategy, specific roles per actor
g. MFIs (like Dedebit): • Providing credit in an attractive way, like providing a
special type of credit for youth; individually and in groups! – Searching for possibilites: providing ‘in kind’ services,
making the credit interest lower, providing enough amount of credit and making the process of taking credit less bureaucratic (together with other organizations!)
• Awareness creation to youth to make taking credit more attractive by organzing trainings for youth
• Providing trainings about how to save money
Youth involvement in agribusiness strategy, specific roles per actor
h. (Public-) private actors, like business people: • Should provide technical trainings and share experience
regarding to their business • Should organize fieldtrips, together with schools, to support
students’ practical experience • Should be willing to create internship possibilities for
students, to provide students more work experience
Youth involvement in agribusiness strategy, specific roles per actor
i. NGOs: (REST, World Vision, Kidist Maryiam, UNICEF, GIZ, etc.) Important note: NGOs are not the most sustainable actors; project based activities. • NGOs should be managable for the MSE office and should work regarding
the common strategy doing their expected activities
• NGOs should do activities based on the demand of the MSE office regarding improving involvement of youth in agribusiness
• MoU should be made between NGOs and MSE office on shared
commitments for youth and agriculture • NGO roles: Improve provision of input materials (technologies, new
breeds/variaties), funds for several activities (involvement of youth in education), etc. etc..
Thank you!!!
Discussion questions
What are your additional experiences regarding challenges and opportunitis for youth involvement in agribusiness?
What can be done to improve youth involvement in agribusiness in awareness creation and strategies? (Follow up!)