Opportunities in agriculture are enormous – Young entrepreneur tells fellow youth

When Bernice Agboada completed school, she was unsure what would come next. Like many young people, she had finished her education with hopes for the future but without a clear path to pursue.

Yet, the agriculture and food systems sector offered a potential avenue. It’s a sector that research increasingly identifies as a significant source of jobs and livelihoods for Africa’s growing youth population.

World Bank analysis suggests that money invested in agribusiness generates more jobs than an equivalent amount spent in manufacturing or services. Agriculture, it argues, is a sleeping giant for inclusive growth.

Bernice was introduced to agriculture as a potential source of job creation by colleagues and decided to explore that opportunity.

Today, her experience in agriculture has paid off, giving her practical skills, employment, a growing business and a renewed sense of what is possible. Under the brand name Mushroom General, she grows, packages, and sells mushrooms, creating jobs for herself and other young people.

“I got introduced to the Youth Entrepreneurship for the Future of Food and Agriculture (YEFFA) programme through the Ghana Federation of Disability. Then, I had completed school and wasn’t sure what to do next. So, I tried, and it turns out that I have a job and good skills now,” Bernice told Adom TV’s Afia Amankwaah Tamakloe on the Badwam TV show.

Before joining the programme, Bernice had little knowledge of mushroom production. Through training and mentorship over the past three years, however, she developed the technical and entrepreneurial skills needed to establish and grow her business, Mushroom General.

“YEFFA, Mastercard and AGRA trained me. I am a proud alumna,” she said, adding that the training also equipped her with skills in packaging and presentation that have helped her improve her products.

Today, Bernice is not only producing mushrooms but also creating employment opportunities for other young people. Her business currently employs three youth, and she is looking to expand. Bernice believes agriculture offers opportunities because food is an essential part of everyone's life.

“Everybody is eating. No one can go a day without eating. So, this is a venture that is very good, and I encourage a lot of people to take part, especially persons with disabilities.”

Her own experience, as a person living with albinism, has strengthened her belief that living with disability should not prevent anyone from becoming an entrepreneur. “PWDs can do something with the right support,” she said.

Mushroom General, which is dedicated to sustainable practices and innovative mushroom products, reflects that vision. The business seeks to promote healthy living, support local communities and contribute to a more sustainable future through mushroom production.

For Bernice, however, the biggest transformation has been the realisation that her business can become much larger than she ever imagined. The young woman who finished school without knowing what to do next now sees possibilities in production, processing, financing, export and regional markets.

“I feel like the small mushroom business is not small. It has big potential,” she said.

That growing sense of possibility has also shaped her ambitions for Mushroom General. Bernice wants to move beyond cultivating and selling fresh mushrooms into value-added processing.

She envisions producing mushroom-based snacks, mushroom powder for health-conscious consumers and other packaged products that could eventually reach markets beyond Ghana.

Her experience has also convinced her that Africa needs more opportunities for entrepreneurs to develop and process agricultural products. She believes “opportunities in agriculture are enormous for young people.”

Sach Avudzi, Programs and Safeguarding Officer at AGRA Ghana, reiterated the need to support young people in pursuing business ventures in food systems.

“Some people have the impression youth aren’t interested in agribusiness. But when you put out programs, you will be amazed by the number of youth who come. They just need support,” he explained.

He said the YEFFA program is exposing young people to a range of opportunities so they can take advantage of them.

“We expose them to technologies. We take them on factory tours. We go for international exhibitions and programs… In Ghana, currently, AGRA has worked with not less than 300 youth enterprises,” he added.

The YEFFA program is a $350 million initiative running from 2023 to 2028. Implemented by the Mastercard Foundation and AGRA across multiple African countries, the program aims to create 1.5 million work opportunities for young people within agri-food systems by strengthening ecosystems and mobilising support from both the public and private sectors.

YEFFA operates through continental and country-specific pillars to address systemic barriers and foster national value chains, ultimately accelerating youth employment and agricultural transformation.

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DISCLAIMER: The Views, Comments, Opinions, Contributions and Statements made by Readers and Contributors on this platform do not necessarily represent the views or policy of Multimedia Group Limited.