National Strategy for Youth Involvement in Agriculture 2016-2021.

The National Strategy for Youth Involvement in Agriculture is a national policy with a multi-sectoral approach. The timeframe of the Strategy is 5 years between 2016 and 2021. This Strategy aims at empowering youth to ensure full participation in agricultural development and contribution to the national economic growth.
Agricultural investments will be promoted on allocation of land to the youth to ensure equal access and acquisition of land to boys and girls or men and women which will contribute to equal participation in agricultural production. Acquiring and accessing financial resources for agricultural investments will be facilitated for the youth to encourage them to establish their own micro financial organizations. Furthermore In order to ensure self-employment in agriculture, capacities of the youth will be increased, awareness will be created on existing and emerging agribusiness opportunities and access to extension services will be ensured. Access to modern farming equipment, inputs and information on agriculture will be provided. Agricultural infrastructure will be developed to attract youth involvement in agriculture. Youth participation in agribusiness will be encouraged by removing marketing barriers for various crops, establishing market information systems and by promoting value addition for different youth preferred agricultural products. Agricultural support initiatives will be coordinated and linked to youth and youth groups. Youth direct involvement will be ensured in multi-sectoral dialogues on decent work deficits and possible improvements. Cross cutting issues such as environmental, gender, health issues (HIV and AIDS) and recreational activities (games and sports) will be mainstreamed in youth involved in the agriculture sector, taking into consideration the vulnerable youth groups including youth with special needs.
Mitigation and adaptation to climate change and variability will be enhanced through capacity building, as well as by developing adaptive agricultural technologies. The Strategy also stresses on the collaboration with other actors in mitigation and adaptation phase.
The Ministry of Agriculture Livestock and Fisheries will be responsible for supervising the implementation, monitoring, evaluating and coordinating all activities of the strategy, in cooperation and coordination with the Agricultural Sector Lead Ministries.