For a long time, young people had a negative perception of farming. Many saw their parents toiling away on the land with rudimentary tools, with no success at harvest time. This reality has discouraged many young people from taking up farming. Despite this, there are still young people who make their living from the land.

During my reports, I particularly enjoy talking to young farmers. They have fascinating stories to share and a determination in their work. They aspire to boost agriculture in Burkina Faso. But, often, when I listen to some of them and look at the means of production they use, I wonder how they are going to get there?

Obstacles financiers

Many of them are forced to use rudimentary farming tools such as the daba and the hoe. They spend whole days bent over in the scorching sun to cultivate a small area. Despite their good will, the arduous nature of the work and the meagre harvests at the end of the season end up deterring them. Especially given the aridity of our soils.

It’s vital to inspire young people by making farming more glamorous and attractive. This means promoting models of success, as well as agricultural mechanisation and all the other technologies that now make it possible to lighten the physical workload. When it comes to mechanisation, tractors and other machinery for sale or hire are often too expensive for the young farmer in Kiembara to afford. One even gets the impression that current mechanisation policies are aimed at agribusinessmen or those who already have fat bank accounts. The list of debtors of the Socdaiété Nationale de l’Aménagement des Terres et de l’Équipement Rural, published a few months ago, speaks volumes. If these categories of people, including former ministers and other senior public officials, have difficulty paying, then what can be said about young people, most of whom have difficulty obtaining bank credit because of the complex requirements and procedures?

Investing in young people

We need to set up agricultural credit programmes for young people with flexible repayment terms, and provide subsidies or financial aid to young people to help them buy or hire tractors at affordable prices.

My conviction is that mechanisation is the key to moving from subsistence farming to self-sufficient, market-oriented agriculture. Investing in today’s young people means investing in the future of agriculture.

Clarisse K. TIEMTORÉ