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The Nairobian

Youth shun agribusiness as it is "not trendy"

Crop

By Jael Mboga | Aug 27, 2020

**Part of why youth also shun agriculture is because many believe it requires huge capital.**

An agri-services expert has said that part of why youth shun agriculture i sbecause it is not trendy.

Syngenta Foundation East Africa manager Stella Kimani said in order to demystify the notion that agriculture is 'not cool' to the youth, they need to be exposed to the opportunities available in the sector.

"Youth are inclined towards farm production, yet there are more opportunities in agribusiness."

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In identifying a need and understanding all elements of agriculture, the youth will be better placed to benefit from agribusiness. These areas are such as seed development, aggregation of input or digitisation.

According to Kimani, Syngenta has worked with women and youth by exposing them to the available markets.

Speaking on Wednesday on a FarmKenya Connect forum on KTN NewsTV, she cited youth in Nyandarua liaising with their counterparts in Machakos to sell potatoes. They identified a gap in the supply and demand chain and sought to fill it.

Other areas are such as in the aggregation of farm input, where youth link up with the local stockists to act as middlemen for the farmers.

"Youth only need to broaden the scope and be shown what is possible for them to understand in what areas they can participate in," Kimani added.

Part of why youth also shun agriculture is because many believe it requires huge capital.

Wendy Farms founder Caleb Karuga said to overcome the funding challenge, youth can pool their resources. He said capital is not only about money.

As banks are wary about funding projects by the youth, Karuga advises that groups can choose to start small and build up.

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