The North West Provincial Government is upbeat about the R4 million Danish funding that the Presidency has secured for development of Taung Agriculture College as a centre of excellence for irrigation training.
Premier Thandi Modise has expressed optimism that the donor funding will assist in the repositioning of Taung Agriculture College as a centre of excellence in irrigation technology in line with its agro-ecological zone.
The establishment of a provincial task team led by the Provincial Department of Agriculture and Rural Development supported by the Presidency, in collaboration with Greater Taung Local Municipality and the Department of Social Development, Women. Youth and People with Disability and the appointment of the Agriculture Research Council as an implementing agent were supported by the Provincial Executive Council (Exco) in its meeting this week.
Exco in its meeting held on Wednesday approved the initiative by the Presidency and allowed the Provincial Task Team to engage further in terms of business development and drafting of the Memorandum of Understanding for stakeholder formulation.
Twenty-nine students are admitted for the Diploma in Agriculture specialising in Irrigation at the college. The qualification was approved by the South African Qualification Authority in 2011.
The funding follows a visit by Deputy President Kgalema Motlanthe in 2011 to evaluate measures on how government could as part of its War on Poverty Programme intervene in depressed areas of Taung to alleviate poverty.
Enquiries:
Lesiba Moses Kgwele (Spokesperson)
Tel: 018 388 3705
Cell: 083 629 1987
Fax: 018 388 3157
E-mail: LKgwele@gmail.com
