Youth Employment Mainstreaming in Agriculture Sector

Rationale

Agriculture contributes 27% to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP National accounts 2023, Q1);

The share of agriculture in the workforce was 61.2 percent, therefore, the remaining proportion (38.8 %) is the share of non-agriculture employment in the workforce; means 3,227,533 out of 5,276,30 (LFS, annual report, 2020);

As a developmental challenge, only 38% of people involved in agriculture are considered in LFS as employed (working for pay and profit);

In addition, Market oriented agriculture activity was also mostly observed among adults (64.7 percent) compared to youth (35.3 percent).

Engagement of young people in agriculture sector requires to address the following main challenges that literature consistently pointed out including access to land, finance, and skills (modern Farming techniques)  

Target group

Youth involved in subsistence agriculture

Objectives

Overall Project Objective is youth mainstreaming in agriculture sector and ecological functions of the marshlands

 The specific objective

 The specific objectives are the following:

• Creation of jobs and poverty alleviation among youth.
• Promotion of youth involvement in agriculture sector and reducing the population share in subsistence agriculture.
• Export promotion and reduce agricultural on imports
• Ensure land use conservation and food security
• Strengthen skills of unemployed youth in agriculture and agribusiness through technical and entrepreneurial training

Implementation framework

1. Access to land:

Districts will provide land (marchlands and abandoned terraces and renting where possible)

1. Access to Finance:

Purchase of agricultural inputs (seeds, fertilizers, green houses and irrigation equipment)

1. Skills development (farming practices, minimize post-harvest losses)
2. Access to market

Pilot phase: Rwamagana and Kayonza districts

Started in 2021, around 1000 youth grouped in 8 cooperatives have been supported with irrigation equipment. The grant enabled the cooperatives to grow plants throughout all seasons.

Way Forward:

This intervention is now open in all provinces. The target is to create 3000 decent jobs by 2024.