Young people must embrace agriculture as an enterprise – Richard Nunekpeku

&NewLine;<p class&equals;"wp-block-paragraph">Ghanaian lawyer and entrepreneur Richard Nunekpeku has urged young people to approach agriculture as a business that requires proper planning&comma; investment and technical knowledge&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<p class&equals;"wp-block-paragraph">According to him&comma; farming should not be viewed simply as traditional work but as an enterprise capable of generating sustainable returns when properly managed&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<p class&equals;"wp-block-paragraph">Speaking in an exclusive interview with My Story Magazine&comma; Mr Nunekpeku&comma; the founder of Anyako Farms Limited and managing partner at Sustineri Attorneys&comma; said young farmers must understand the realities and risks involved in agriculture&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<p class&equals;"wp-block-paragraph">He cited access to suitable land&comma; irrigation&comma; expertise and realistic financial projections as some of the key factors entrepreneurs must consider before investing in farming&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<p class&equals;"wp-block-paragraph">Mr Nunekpeku recalled losing money after cultivating about 120 acres of maize while relying on rainfall&comma; an experience that prompted him to invest in an irrigation system&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<p class&equals;"wp-block-paragraph">He said farmers must also combine practical farming knowledge with science&comma; including understanding soil nutrients and using the appropriate seeds&comma; fertilisers and chemicals&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<p class&equals;"wp-block-paragraph">Mr Nunekpeku&comma; who previously worked with Guinness Ghana Breweries&comma; PZ Cussons and Samsung Electronics&comma; later ventured into agriculture before pursuing a career in law&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<p class&equals;"wp-block-paragraph">He was recognised as Agriculture Man of the Year at the 2019 EMY Awards for his work with Anyako Farms&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<p class&equals;"wp-block-paragraph">He encouraged young people to learn from the experiences of others while developing their own paths&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<p class&equals;"wp-block-paragraph">&OpenCurlyDoubleQuote;For young people&comma; my best advice is to be yourself&comma; do what is right and stay on track&period; The dots always connect&comma;” he said&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;