By Staff Reporter
In response to an advert placed in December by the Department of Agriculture, 412 applications were received. Eighty unemployed agricultural graduates have been chosen and placed at various farms in the Northern Cape.
The MEC for Agriculture, Environmental Affairs, Rural Development and Land Reform, Mase Manopole, welcomed the 75 graduates at the Blocuso Vineyard in the ZF Mgcawu region of the Northern Cape. MEC Manopole was accompanied by the Acting Head of Department, Lerato wa Modise, the Kai! Garib Local Municipality Executive Mayor, Marius Louw and organised farmer’s organisations.
Frances Baard District received 194, the highest number of applications, shortlisted 33 (21 males and 12 females). 69 applicants from John Taolo Gaetsewe District, 19 were shortlisted (7 Males and 12 Females). In Pixley Ka Seme District 97, applications were received, shortlisted 19 (13 Males and 6 Females) and ZF Mgcawu District and Namakwa District received 52 applications shortlisted 20 (9 Male and 11 Female).
A total of 87 candidates were shortlisted and 80 were appointed. However, 75 accepted the offer, while the other five declined after receiving full-time employment elsewhere.
The 75 successful graduates will be placed in relevant smallholder or commercial enterprises. They will undergo on-the-job training in production, agro-processing, farm management, governance, business and entrepreneurship (value chain). Sixteen farms have agreed to participate in hosting the newly appointed interns. They will spend the next two years on these farms, gaining valuable experience and skills.
MEC Manopole has pledged her department’s undivided support to all the intake.
She encouraged the 2021 Intake graduates to look beyond been employed by the sector.
“Help us to create more job opportunities. Food security plays a critical part as we can’t operate and live without food,” added MEC Manopole.
In the last six months of the program, the Department will support graduates to develop bankable business plans. With the assistance of economists and other relevant experts, explained Manopole.
The aim is to adequately prepare them to pursue their envisaged entrepreneurial ambitions after exiting the program.
Further, graduates will be linked to government support programs relating to their chosen enterprises and other potential funders such as the National Youth Development Agency.
This was the second take of the agricultural graduate cohorts, the first was in 2019. 23 commercial farms/enterprises have participated in the placement.
The two-year contract for 65% of the appointed graduates has ended, and the rest will end this year.
Six of the graduates are employed full-time, thanks to RaisinSA and COFCO international.
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