| Young Farmers
Programme |
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Why remain with the huge, helpless crowd of unemployed youth when
you could grow a successful career in Agriculture? You think it's a dirty old
fashioned job? You'd be surprised at the huge opportunities that exist in
Agriculture.
Adb has developed a specialist programme for the youth who are interested and
committed to taking on agriculture as a business.
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Objectives Of The Programme |
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To encourage the youth to accept agriculture as a business
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To enhance incomes of farm families in rural areas.
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To replace the aging agricultural labour work force
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To reduce the high rate of youth unemployment
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To increase food security at the household level.
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Target Group |
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This initiative is aimed, primarily at the
youth like you, aged between 18 and 35 years in the following categories:
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Existing youth groups engaged in agricultural activities
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New youth groups interested in agriculture as business
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Individual youth presently undertaking agricultural ventures
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Training And Attachment
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| Training is a major part of this programme.
Youth groups intending to access credit under the programme will receive basic
and hands-on training to be organized jointly by ADB, MOFA and Ministry of
Manpower, Youth and Employment at Agric Institutes nearer applicants. If you
became and eligible beneficiary, and depending on your experience and exposure,
you may also be attached to large-scale commercial farmers for a short period,
to gain technical experience.
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Criteria For Selection Of Activities |
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The project you intend to take should satisfy
any of these conditions:
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The produce should either contribute towards national food security or satisfy
a supply group.
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The produce must have export potential
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The produce must either have substitute for imports or server as raw material
base for domestic industries.
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There must be a market for the produce
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The produce must lend itself to value-addition, i.e. processing, storage etc.
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The produce must have comparative advantage in the project area
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Types Of Loan
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Two types of loan shall be granted under the
programme
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Working capital Loan to be granted based on cost of production/activity
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Investment Loan (acquisition of farm implements /processing equipment etc.)
The disbursement of the approved loans shall mainly be in-kind.
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Eligibility
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For you to be a beneficiary, you must satisfy
these criteria:
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Be a citizen of Ghana, aged between 18 and 35 years.
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Be interested in and committed to farming.
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Reside in the district that the project is to be located.
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Be in the cohesive group that has already be trained(by Ministry of Manpower,
Youth and Employment, Extension Department of MOFA, NGO's, Department of
Co-operatives, Banks, Agricultural Training Institutes etc.),or must be
prepared to be trained.
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The group should have been in existence for at least three (3) months.
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Group must have already acquired land in the project area for the activity,
which should be endorsed by the Chief or Landowner.
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A group shall contain not more than one member from the same house hold
(neither male not female)
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The group shall open a savings account with minimum amount of GH¢ 50 (¢
50,000.00) wit any ADB branch.
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The group shall present a simple business plan indicating the marketing
arrangements.
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A group that defaults willfully in payment will be disqualified from obtaining
further loans.
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Parents/guardians shall support /guarantee the loan
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Activities That Qualify For
Funding
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The under listed activities are eligible for
funding
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Production of food and cash crops
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Poultry and Piggery farming
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Reside in the district that the project is to be located.
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Bee-keeping, Snail and Grass-cutter rearing, Mushroom production.
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Production of horticultural crops, vegetables, Pawpaw, Pineapples etc.
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Aquaculture
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Small-scale agro processing
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Marketing of produce and products, and others.
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Terms And Conditions Funding
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Interest charged shall be at a special concessionary rate
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Repayment shall be tailored to the type of project for which the loan was made.
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No processing fee shall be charged
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Security Arrangements Funding
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Executives shall indemnify the groups
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Each individual beneficiary shall execute a promissory note
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One personal guarantor (Parent/Guardian/Priest/Pastor, etc.)
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When To Approach The Bank
Funding
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You shall access the facility upon satisfying
the criteria above and also submit the following:
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Evidence of access to land endorsed by the Chief or Landowner
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A simple Business Plan
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Apply Now |
