Third, over the medium-term, there is a need to raise the skill levels of rural population through greater public investment in health and education so that they may find remunerative employment and livelihood opportunities outside the agricultural sector. This will encourage greater mechanisation and modern farming practices and thus boost agricultural productivity and production.
Fourth, managing the movement of labour force from agricultural sector to industry and services is no less challenging. Given the endowment of mineral reserves, the natural tendency will be for extractive industry to develop. However, exploitation of natural resources should be conducted in a transparent and environmentally sustainable manner with greater emphasis on value addition.