Farming is not punishment – Julius Debrah to Students

Chief of Staff Julius Debrah has urged students to view farming as a pathway to Ghana’s food security rather than as a form of punishment.

Speaking at the launch of the School Farm Initiative at St. Thomas Aquinas Senior High School in Accra on Friday, August 29, Mr. Debrah emphasized that agriculture holds the key to transforming the nation’s economy and empowering the youth. He explained that the initiative, which embeds farming into school life, was designed to change perceptions and equip young people with practical skills for the future.

Mr. Debrah reminded the students that President John Dramani Mahama had placed agriculture at the center of Ghana’s National Research and Development Agenda. “The President’s vision for agriculture is clear. He has placed it at the very heart of our National Research and Development Agenda — a vision that calls for transformation from dependency to productivity, from subsistence to competitiveness, and from agriculture as a last resort to agriculture as a modern, innovative, and dignified enterprise,” he said.

He described the School Farm Initiative as a bold step in this transformation. “By embedding agriculture into our schools, we are not just planting crops; we are planting the seeds of self-reliance, creativity, and entrepreneurship in our young people. We are shaping mindsets, and we are building futures,” he noted.

The Chief of Staff stressed that the government alone could not make the program succeed. He highlighted the role of various institutions, including the Ghana Education Service, GETFund, and the National Service Authority, in providing policies, funding, infrastructure, and technical expertise to sustain the initiative.

Mr. Debrah appealed to teacher unions such as NAGRAT, GNAT, and CCT-GH to support the effort wholeheartedly. “Do not see this as an additional burden, but as an opportunity to mentor students, to pass on values and practical skills that extend far beyond the classroom,” he urged. Parents were also encouraged to embrace school farms as investments in their children’s nutrition and future employability.

To the students, the Chief of Staff issued a direct call. “This is your opportunity to gain hands-on knowledge in agriculture and entrepreneurship. An opportunity to see farming not as punishment, but as innovation. An opportunity to prepare yourselves for careers and also to contribute to Ghana’s food security,” he said.

Mr. Debrah concluded by assuring students and parents that government was fully committed to the project. He described it as a “legacy project” that integrates education, agriculture, and youth empowerment to build lasting foundations for the nation’s development.