I remember while growing up, all I ever wanted to be was a barrister, I never saw the possibility of me working as a farmer. It was the least I could ever think of. Back then in my elementary school, I remember our teachers at each level of our education used to ask us what we would love to become or the career path we will choose when we finally become adults.
As vividly as I can remember, I have never heard either myself or my classmates mention that I or they will love to become farmers when they grow up. We did not dare mention it.
All we ever had passion for were white collar jobs even when we come from a country that white collar jobs themselves were not available for a common man, except you are one who has a long leg in government. We did not mention it because we were afraid that our classmates, even our teachers too, will definitely laugh at us.
They will all laugh because agriculture was greatly demeaned. None of us ever wanted to be farmers because did not want to be dirty, it was obvious to us that if you want to be a farmer, it simply means that you are going to be very very dirty.
Funnily enough, those same teachers who could not help us to embrace agriculture were the same tutors who did forcefully drive us their pupils to cultivate the farmlands apportioned to them by the school authority. I always laugh each time I remember this.
As little as we were then and in our shallow minds, our perception of success was that, if you end up in the farm or go anywhere near agriculture, it cannot be said that you are successful in life.
Agriculture has been neglected by many countries of the world
Agriculture is the backbone of any economy, but, as vital as the agricultural sector is, many countries of the world have completely neglected it. In some countries, political leaders attitude towards agriculture is nonchalant. Leaders from third world countries are not helping matters.
Many nations of the world today have been plunged into economic hardship because attention was never given to agric business. The overall consequence is that, when a country abandons agriculture, it becomes reliant on import to feed its population, and this will always result in a decline in the standard of living.
I Encourage People to Consider Agric because I have been able to unearth its wealth
I would not have been able to discover the hidden treasures in agriculture if I did not come to a point in my life that I faced a serious hardship and agriculture became the only alternative that I have. I have been a versatile entrepreneur who has been into many in business and I have skills I earn from too, but the wealth I have acquired from agric is far greater than what I have achieved from the former. I am not trying to talk down on any profession, but for me, agriculture is the deal.
As I will be signing out from the university in few days from now, my plan is to expand my poultry farm and buy more palm fruits plantation so that I will be producing palm oil in a very large quantity. I know that by doing so, I will be able to solve my country's unemployment challenge.
The Government Can Change the perspective by not just giving pupils and students in schools a shallow knowledge of agriculture. They should not only have it in the school curriculum. Government can, through the teachers, dispel the wrong notion in the minds of students that ending up as an agriculturist does not mean that you are frustrated in life.