Do Labour and Political Will Affect Agricultural Output?

Abstract

Agriculture has been at the forefront in employment creation and revenue generation in Africa until there was a shift from the sector to the non-farm or service industry which threatens the economic sustenance despite the growing population of youth in the region. The neglect of the agricultural sector resulted from labour migration and lack of political will in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), which has severe implications on agricultural output. This study, however, investigated the nexus among labour, political will and agricultural production in SSA from 1998 – 2018 using the dynamic System – GMM estimation technique. The study found employment in the agricultural sector, agricultural raw material, exchange rate, political will, and agricultural material and exchange rate interaction significantly influenced agricultural output in SSA. Therefore, it is recommended that for SSA future to be sustained, the governments should discourage labour migration from the agricultural sector through government supports to boost employment and poverty reduction.