North West MEC for agriculture and rural development, Desbo Mohono, believes that there is a need for closer collaboration among the province’s young agricultural players. Meanwhile, closer ties with mining houses could potentially be key to the future of sustainable agricultural production in North West.
In an exclusive interview with Food For Mzansi, Mohono shares her vision and hopes for youth involved in agricultural activities.
She also shares how her department is approaching climate change, incomplete agricultural projects worth millions, and deteriorating road infrastructure in the province.
Tiisetso Manoko: As the MEC, what is your vision for youth in agriculture?
Desbo Mohono: Firstly, my message to young farmers is that there is nothing easy in life. It is important to also instil the knowledge to our young farmers in the province that farming is not easy, it entails a lot of planning and preparations for one to be able to be regarded as a farmer who is able to access markets.
Our [job] from the department’s side is to create that much-needed enabling environment. My vision remains that young farmers need to collaborate with each other and share ideas, that is the only way to grow in farming.
We come from the mining province; we have engaged the mining houses that they need to play a key role in ensuring that the two sectors complement each other.
In Marikana, a mining house has built an agricultural hub for our young farmers in those areas, so those are some of the visions I have for agriculture in the province; collaboration and working together with the private sector.
Importantly for me, the message is that young farmers should love what they are doing and have passion for it. Collaboration is the way to go, on your own you cannot make it.
How is your department dealing with climate change?
We are not only making our farmers aware of the impact of climate change, but we have also gone the extra mile and created a research unit specifically dealing with agriculture. Its work is to produce researched papers for policy purposes and for farmers to rethink their farming models and practices.
Climate change has now taught us that when it rains hard, as a farmer you cannot continue irrigating the way you do in the past. You need to adjust and find better and more suitable methods to farm and remain in operation.
Smart farming is the way to go because climate change is here, we cannot run away from it.
Red flags have been raised.
Incomplete NW agri projects have raised a number of eyebrows. How are you addressing this?
I am monitoring it myself; I go and see what’s going on with these projects. When the department gives people money, I go and compare … do the reports and what’s going on on the ground add up?
I personally advocate for monitoring and evaluation of the projects that are government funded because we need to see where the state money goes.
What about deteriorating infrastructure such as roads?
Indeed [roads are bad]. We are engaging with other departments. However, I must emphasise that the money we receive isn’t enough, the public purse has just got too many other commitments.
The department of public works is working with us so that we can improve the roads to farms.
We have agreed as a government that farming roads are extremely important. We want our farmers to have access to and from their farms so that we do not become a food-scarce country just because our roads are bad.
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