By Palesa Mofoti
The department of Agriculture, Environmental Affairs, Rural Development & Land reform welcomed the third cohort of 77 agriculture graduates into employment on 12 April 2024. The event was held at TBG in Kimberley.
The program is designed to accommodate unemployed graduates in agriculture. All 77 participants are from five districts in the Northern Cape. The first cohort of the program was taken in 2018 followed by the second in 2021. The initiative is in collaboration with Wilderklaver, livestock farmers and Raisons SA. The program runs for a year and government pays participants.
The objectives of the program, includes; empowering graduates by offering experience in agriculture, boosting of food production and cultivate a skilled group of young producers. It also provides graduates with an opportunity to actively taking a role in agriculture and create entrepreneurship in agriculture. The program will further assist to bridge the gap between young and old farmers in introducing technology in agriculture.
Mase Manopole, MEC for Agriculture, Environmental Affairs, Rural Development & Land reform, said: “As we embark on this transformative venture, go out there and ensure you contribute in the economy of our sector and the economy of our province. That you contribute and come up with innovative programs”.
According to the National Development Plan and National Youth Policy, agriculture is identified as the sector that will create approximately one million jobs by 2030.
The launch was met with excitement from the graduates, who expressed how this will provide them with the necessary skills to create employment for themselves
Moira Marais, Head of the department from the department of Agriculture, Environmental Affairs, Rural Development & Land reform encouraged all graduates to make a long lasting impression on their host employers stating ‘if you continue to work hard, people would want you in their space permanently, people would be enthusiastic about you as a young person and not want to let you go’.
An excited graduate from De Aar stating that this is a great opportunity for her, that will increase her knowledge on food production and exposure to various sectors within the agricultural environment.
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