Agribusiness entrepreneur and founder of Ideal Providence Farms, Georgina Koomson, has encouraged young people interested in agriculture to embrace innovation, strategic planning and patience, noting that farming extends well beyond the traditional view of manual labour.
Speaking on Joy-Agri Business Month, she said one of the first key decisions for aspiring farmers is identifying the specific area of agriculture they intend to pursue.
“You have to know first what you want to grow because farming is big and farming is not just tilling the land,” she said.
She explained that agriculture presents a broad range of opportunities, and success in the sector depends largely on understanding the value chain and selecting the right niche.
According to her, location also plays a critical role in productivity, as different crops thrive in different ecological zones.
“You have to know the area that you want to produce because each area has a specific crop that works well there,” she stated.
Ms. Koomson further challenged the common perception that farming is limited to clearing weeds and cultivating land, stressing that modern agriculture requires creativity, planning and strong business branding.
“You have to be innovative, you have to have proper branding. People think farming is just weeding. No, it goes beyond that,” she emphasised.
The agribusiness entrepreneur has encouraged young people entering the agricultural sector to start on a small, manageable scale rather than committing large investments at the outset.
“I always tell them to start small and expand,” she said.
She explained that while entrepreneurs often develop detailed and ambitious business plans, real-world outcomes do not always follow projections.
“They might have projections, and sometimes you can have very good projections and it doesn’t work,” she added.
Her remarks reflect a growing call within the agribusiness sector for young people to view agriculture not as a subsistence activity, but as a modern, innovation-driven enterprise with the potential to create sustainable livelihoods and drive broader economic transformation.