Eastern Cape MEC for Rural Development and Agrarian Reform (DRDAR) Xolile Nqatha launched a skills development programme aimed at equipping youth with agriculture skills where currently 250 youngsters from the Sundays River Valley Municipality are taking part.

The programme is being implemented in partnership with the Department of Higher Education and Training’s National Skills Fund (NSF), which has injected R87 million for the programme in the Eastern Cape.

More than 2 550 youth from the province will benefit from the programme aimed at equipping co-operatives and SMMEs with a range of skills.

The agriculture skills develop programme, which is being implemented by ACOSA Skills Development College with a budget of R12,7 million from NSF, will see 600 youths from Ngqushwa, Sundays River, Kouga and Makana municipalities benefitting.

In the 2016/17 and 2017/18 financial years the NSF invested more than R1,4 billion in education and training opportunities that benefited 9 271 youngsters.

“By providing the skills to the youth, we want them to have a bright future and be able to have they own enterprises. We are expressing our appreciation that young people are keen to learn agriculture skills and government will support them as they venture into these enterprises. This programme should help young people to have money and be self-sustainable and become employers. We want to see you as farmers one day and be able to export your produce,” MEC Nqatha said.

NSF Mvuyisi Macikama said the launch of the programme was a confirmation of government’s renewed commitment to collaborate to support effective skills development, adding that the partnership was designed to unlock and fast-track up-skilling opportunities in agriculture and rural environment.

“There is no doubt that the revitalization of rural areas is imperative for realizing sustainable economic growth hence we depart from urban based skills development. We need to strengthen training in the entire agriculture value chain so that we can be able to process food. This training will enhance the knowledge of young people so that they contribute in growing the economy,” Macikama said.

27-year-old Odwa Sizani who used to work at a citrus packhouse as a seasonal worker said the leanership has “helped me a great deal because being a seasonal worker is equivalent to being unemployment.

“Most of the time I was roaming the streets of Kirkwood doing nothing but now I have been given an opportunity to boast my wellbeing and craft my career prospect. After this programme, I can apply to be a farm manager or own my enterprise. I am very happy with the empowerment I get from the government,” said Sizani.

For Ntomboxolo Nokhetshe the training will fulfill her dream of owning a farm, adding that she did not expect to be part of the learnership.

“I am sure what we are doing will make our future to be good. With agriculture we can make anything to be possible,” she said.

On Thursday, the MEC also launched another youth learnership programme in Xhukwane Village in Debenek where 60 youths from the Raymond Mhlaba Municipality are being equipped with farming skills while earning a stipend each month.

The department invested R1.6 million for the learnership.

One of the beneficiaries of the youth programme, Bathandwa Hebe (23)

“I am very delighted to be part of this programme as it is equipping us with skills so that we can be able to look after ourselves. We are confident the skills we receive here will assist us to produce food and be part of the economic activities in our area and beyond,” said Hebe from Xhukwane village.

Before joining the programme where 20 young people from Xhukwane village are benefiting, Hebe who has a matric “was sitting at home, doing nothing hence this has brought not only joy but a huge relief.”

MEC Nqatha also donated fencing for five projects, shearing equipment for three projects, a maize threshing machine and big irrigation pump and production inputs to revitalise Qamdobowa irrigation to produce Lucerne.

MEC Nqatha said the revival of the irrigation system would assist to produce Lucerne “so that we can feed our livestock in times of the drought with a Lucerne produced locally as we are currently getting it from other provinces.”

“Our plan is to ensure people farm with livestock and work the land hence we are giving you the necessary support. We want to improve the quality of livestock so that people can be able to derive income from it. We do not want our black farmers to stay as emerging farmers forever. I am happy that the youth is seeing agriculture as cool. To ensure we fight poverty and lack of employment we want to develop agriculture hence we are glad that youngsters are taking part in this industry,” MEC Nqatha said.

He said the department was committed to ensure that the youth actively start agriculture projects that will “turn into big industries. Government will support you in your endeavours and I urge you to be focused.”