Youth urged to turn to agribusiness for self-sustenance- Wajir West Mp

 Young people from Wajir West Sub-County have been urged to turn to agriculture as one of the avenues where they can sustain themselves rather than looking to get employed in offices to earn a living.

Wajir west Member of parliament Hon. Yussuf Farah "Muliro" said there are more returns in agriculture than the traditional income sources such as formal employment.

He said the agriculture sector has a huge opportunity for employment creation that can help absorb hundreds of unemployed youths and improve their livelihoods.

Yussuf observed that World Bank statistics indicate that youth in Kenya account for 35.4 per cent of the population. Of these, a million enter the labour market every year.

Yet, added the legislature very few enter into farming despite the enormous opportunities that lie within the sector.

Speaking at  I-Mall hotel  during an engagement meeting voters drawn from all wards comprosing different professional Mr. Farah  noted that there is need youth to begin agriculture because no jobs available in kenya which raises doubts whether the most active population is not willing to participate in food production.

"We will are ready to empower any indvidual who want to venture agriculture,imagine Wajir north,Tarbaj and Wajir south does best in farming while west and Wajir East are low"

Muliro noted that the increasing rate of unemployment in the country is posing threat to the county’s development stride and should therefore be tamed by helping young people join agribusiness.

Young people under the age of 35 years make up 75 per cent of the Kenyan population according to the 2019 Kenya Population and Housing Census, thus being in a position to bring a shift in food production.

“These young people should be empowered to join the agriculture sector so that we tame unemployment as we increase our production,” Mr yussuf  said.

The mp said the youth should do away with the mentality that agriculture is for the retirees and realize that even young people can do agriculture as a business.

 Agribusiness, he said, is a profession like any other and not for the unschooled or unemployed like many believe but for all in society.

While noting that the current century agriculture means more than subsistence farming muliro indicated that increased access to education and new forms of agriculture-based enterprise mean that young people can be a vital force for innovation in farming, increasing incomes and well-being for people in the society.

"My office is ready to facililate any group, indvidual who want to partake agriculture no matter how tough the situation we will jack up all necessary help"


He advised the wajir west youth to embrace new agricultural techniques in a bid to avoid losses as a result of climate change as well as to address issues of food security affecting various regions.