The Produce Monitoring Board (PMB) and the Ministry of Youth Affairs (MOYA) have launched a promising partnership to support a national youth-led cash crop initiative aimed at boosting employment and agricultural productivity.
The Minister of Youth Affairs, Min Ibrahim Sannoh, presented a strategic plan focusing on cocoa, oil palm, cashew, and bamboo. The initiative proposes youth-led centres with 15,000 trees each, skills training, centralised processing units, and resource hubs to promote value addition and market competitiveness.
Executive Chairman of PMB, Mr. Raymond Katta welcomed the project and reaffirmed PMB’s support, aligning with the government’s vision to create 500,000 new jobs.
Director of Operations, Didan Sankoh outlined PMB’s core areas—production, processing, value addition, quality control, and marketing—highlighting training as a cross-cutting priority.
Agreements from the meeting include submission of a detailed strategy by MOYA to PMB on June 25, formation of a joint technical working group, drafting of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), and a follow-up meeting with the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security to present key outcomes next week.
The meeting concluded with the minister showcasing the oil palm sector as a case study, illustrating the strong potential for profitability and economic growth through youth-led investment in agriculture.
