The Centre for Coordination of Agricultural Research and Development for Southern Africa (CCARDESA) hosted the Youth in Agriculture Summit from the 3rd to the 6th of August 2015, at the Olive Convention Centre in Durban.
The purpose of the summit was to engage, motivate and support youth involvement in agri-business opportunities along various profitable and exciting agricultural value chains. Some of the delegates that attended the Youth in Agriculture Summit for Southern Africa were from various Southern African Development Community (SADC) countries and Agricultural organisations.
They included Her Excellency Dr. Stergomena, SADC Executive Secretary and CCARDESA Executive Director Prof. Timothy Simalenga. The main objectives of this summit was to involve youth in agri-business to transform and improve the agriculture sector in the SADC region. Other primary goals were to increase food security and improve rural livelihood. MEC for KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) Agriculture and Rural Development, Mr Cyril Xaba, in making his closing remarks at the Summit, mentioned that farming is a business which addresses poverty and unemployment.
“The potential for job creation in the agricultural sector is high. We need to see our youth as entrepreneurs, taking advantage of opportunities in the agriculture value chain. Five years from today, we want to hear the success stories about youth involvement in agriculture. We want to see young famers among the future generations of millionaires in our region” said Xaba
There are several commitments that were made by the committee and organisation to transform youth in agriculture in the Southern Region. The committees made an emphasis on building the capacity of the youth through knowledge management, learning and information sharing across the region. That will enable youth with training and equipping youth with skills and knowledge in agribusiness along the various value chain through science, technology and innovation.
