The agricultural industry has grown and proven to be one of the sectors that can help develop and sustain our regional economy.

This observation was taken note of by the delegates at the youth in agriculture seminar organized by the office of the Emfuleni Local Municipality’s executive mayor that took place on the 29th August 2013 at Saul Tsotetsi Sports Complex, Zone 14 Sebokeng. The seminar was addressed by the executive mayor of Emfuleni, Clr Nomthandazo Hlongwane and MMC of LED Khulu Malindi.

The Emfuleni Local Municipality together with the Gauteng Department of Agriculture Rural Development (GDARD) organized this seminar with the aim to assist the disadvantaged youth from rural areas. Job creation food security and productivity should be the driving force in order to thrive best farming practices and also to create a vibrant, equitable and dignified youth in rural community.

About 120 youth from different sectors in Emfuleni attended the seminar. The facilitators were from Gauteng Department of Rural Development and Land Reform, Youth Section and Financial Institutions specifically on rural issues, e.g. Land Bank etc.

The seminar discussed the role of rural youth in household food security, nutrition and environmental sanitation. They went further in identifying priority needs of rural youth, exchanging information and Networking. “It has been an interesting journey for me. Although we have just started to see the importance of agriculture but will certain use this information gained here to network ourselves and the co-operatives which we are establishing”, explained Nthabiseng Makume  of the delegates.

The presentations made by the facilitators challenged the youth in agriculture to think creatively in creating employment for others while at the same time producing good quality products for the big markets. It is a fact that Emfuleni area is hard hit by lack of economic opportunities and is one of the poverty stricken areas but has lot of arable land. This land available should been used productively in creating opportunities and feeding the nation.

The executive mayor, Greta Hlongwane, encourage young farmers to remain attached to the land in order to retain rural population. She also made a call for identification of agricultural land to lobby relevant departments to establish one stop shop for rural areas.

By Stanley Gaba