Young people have turned to farming as the job market and employment opportunities in urban centres have decreased as a result of the current COVID-19 pandemic.

While speaking during the International Youth Day celebrations in Ba yesterday, Minister for Youth and Sports Parveen Kumar said farming was the first choice of young adults unable to find work.

“My Ministry of Youth and Sports has changed the focus of our activities in our programs as a proactive set of measures during the COVID-19 pandemic,” he said.

“For example, the ministry has responded to the increasing numbers of youths returning to their villages and settlements as the job markets in urban areas have contracted.

“Most young people have turned to farming in order to make ends meet. “This is a sustainable means of improving our food security.

“As the world continues to battle immediate challenges such as COVID, long term challenges like climate change means we have to act now and address how we best feed our nation and entrench food security in our economic planning.”

He said as a result, the ministry was engaging youth clubs across the country to encourage farming activities among members.

“We have reached out to youth clubs by providing them with farming materials for them to become productive contributors to national food security.

“It has also meant that more of our youth, instead of being aimless without any prospects in our urban areas, are returning to the land.”