The fourth edition of the Food For Mzansi Young Farmers Indaba started with a bang as farmers across the country gathered at the Lavender Kontrei Market in Pretoria North. More than 2 000 people registered to attend the indaba over two days.
Gauteng agriculture and rural development MEC Vuyiswa Ramokgopa said young people need to rise up and take their place in the agricultural space.
“Agriculture is seen as the industry of the past, however, I want to assure you here today that there is future in agriculture. There is no future in agriculture if young people are not part of the sector. We need young people to take the lead,” she said.
Ramokgopa said there is an urgent need for renewal to ensure that young people feel they belong to the sector.
Young blood needed to take the lead
“The future of agriculture lies in the hands of young people, and for that, all of government and stakeholders need to make agriculture fashionable. We need to break the barriers of access to land and funding, land reform must include young people.
“We need to invest in agricultural education and innovation, we need to market access for young farmers so that their produce can be traded globally. Importantly, we need to challenge the perceptions.”
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The MEC said that for the country to be a player on the global stage, young farmers need to play in the technological space and innovation and raise the bar.
Ramokgopa told farmers that they are the agricultural leaders of today and should lead from the front to ensure that the country is food secure and able to create jobs.
She said platforms like the Mzansi Young Farmers Indaba are the ideal platforms to showcase the beauty of agriculture in South Africa and for farmers to engage one another.
“Agriculture has got a public relations problem; it is perceived as the sector of last resort – when all fails, one thinks of agriculture. However, that is not how it is supposed to be, especially with the high unemployment crisis we have amongst young people,” she said.
Tapping into opportunities
In his video message to young farmers, agriculture minister John Steenhuisen said it is important that young people are attracted to the sector as it has evolved and has become more exciting.
“Farming, agriculture and agro-processing have moved on from just getting your hands dirty; it now involves a whole variety of different aspects from economists and technology to weather patterns. So our space is growing and has become more exciting.
Minister John Steenhuisen
“Agriculture is absolutely vital to the South African economy as it contributes to the gross domestic product of the state, and it goes further as it involves food security. And we have seen it in other parts of the African continent and around the globe when a country can no longer feed its nation, so agriculture, agripreneurs are critical to ensure food security in our country,” he said.
Steenhuisen told delegates that a healthy nation is a well-fed nation, which leads to active participation in the country’s economy.
Steenhuisen said that as the country’s agricultural market grows with several markets opening up, such as Thailand for South African apples, it is essential that young farmers tap into exporting their produce.
“We need to diversify the market for our agricultural products. South African agricultural products are sought after from all corners of the world; people want high-quality and nutritious products that we are producing,” he said.
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