The resettlement of farmers – especially those who had been dispalced for years, is always a welcome move. That is why a story like the one on today’s front page is always a good read. It’s a story of the restoration of hope by the governmnet to hundreds of farners who may find themselves in the same predicament.
One now hopes such farmers will work the land and make sure the land remains productive. Stories of resettlement farms allowed to rot to the core are a bad way of thanking the “hand that feeds you”. One way some farmers allow such farms to go to waste is to abandon production on these farms and flock to cities.
Over the years, a large rural population has left their homes in the rural areas and made their way into the bustling and hustling urban areas. By doing so, they left behind a life many of them have come to know as being the only form of existence for years. A life their grandparents had carved out for them as future generations.
They left behind their land to the worms to feed on. If only a few of them knew how to turn this land into profitable agri-businesses that would sustain them, they would have not seen the need to migrate to towns where some beg for survival.
Lets face it; life in the big urban centres has been anything but rosy. When these people see the bright lights of the cities and are forced to commute to their would-be homes, they are stuck with the first reality of life in the cities; paying your way to get around. But the prospects, or rather hope of finding a job and having a future in the city is all too beckoning. So they stay on.
Days pass by, and so do years but they still remain jobless. By now, reality has hit; life is no bed of roses in the big cities. So, akin to a person lost in the jungle who arrogantly elect to go deeper into the forest for a chance of a hunt as opposed to turning around, they stay on. Here, they live in abject poverty that makes it even difficult for them to return home to their villages if they chose to. They have pride and costly egos to protect, its understandable.
The inverse of this however, is that if young, gifted individuals stay on in the rural areas and work their land, they would face a better future than on the narrow corridor-like streets of Havana, Tulinawa, DRC, or Kanaan. Making optimum use of the land for agriculture production would not only put food on their tables, but could also earn them a few dollars for their pockets.
Of cause, this option, just like anything in life is also not without challenges. The rains don’t come as they used to. The land is often barren and infertile to launch a business from. Then comes the challenges of transport and securing a feasible market for your produce. Yes, it is indeed a mountain to climb. But a mountain is no higher than a hill if your aim is to reach the summit. Keep working the land, it pays off eventually.
Several young people have been profiled making a name for themselves while operating on limited resources in AgriToday. It is indeed a possibility and surely within reach. Whether its a small vegetable garden, chicken farming or even a goat rearing enterprise, business is business! Just get started.
Water in the rural areas is cheaper, there is a bit more land to experiment with and the cost of living is way lower than in the cities. Thus, making a living for yourself there would be fairly easier, if you are determined to. The tides have turned; working an 8 to 5 job no longer guarantees success; you have to give more than that to even just get through the day.
While advocating this option, I am equally not blind to the fact that it is a challenging move. As such, line ministries ought to take a critical look at how they could assist such people who desire to venture into economic undertakings on the newly acquired land. Support them with seeds or seedlings to start up, give them access to the market by encouraging retailers to buy local through implementing supportive legislation, etc.