Speech by the Honourable Senzeni Zokwana, MP, Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries at the celebration of the Youth Month at Tsolo College of Agriculture, Eastern Cape
Programme Director, MEC of Rural Development and Agrarian Reform, Mlibo Qoboshiyane, Chairperson of Santos Football Club, Chairperson of Mthata Football Club, the youth, footballers, distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen—Youth Moving South Africa Forward. This is the reason, we as a department, have chosen to have the Youth Month celebrated here at the college of agriculture.
The colleges of agriculture admit young people in various agricultural study fields at certificate and national diploma levels. In the main, graduates of colleges of agriculture are meant to become farmers, farm managers, technicians in the sector or extension officers. Annually, a total of about 1 000 young people are enrolled for post matric qualifications in the eleven colleges. Colleges are also very vibrant in training the youth and farmers of this country.
The colleges of agriculture are operating at both Higher and Further Education and Training bands. They offer qualifications which range from National Qualifications Framework (NQF) levels 1 to 4, which are in the agricultural vocational education and training band as well as diploma qualifications training at NQF levels 5 to 7, which are in the Higher Education and Training band. The colleges have been accredited by the Council on Higher Education to offer programmes at NQF levels 5 to 7.
During the past seven years, the Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (DAFF) has paid particular attention to transforming colleges of agriculture into centres of excellence. The National Treasury approved the Colleges Revitalisation Plan.
This plan focuses on:
- Improving infrastructure at colleges;
- Curricula review and provision of ICT equipment;
- Reorientation and retraining of academic staff;
- Establishment and strengthening of governance;
- Financing systems and ensuring skills and academic programmes accreditation and quality assurance.
In support of this initiative, R307 million was allocated over the Medium Term Expenditure Framework to revitalise colleges of agriculture. As a result of this process, we managed to resuscitate colleges that had lost accreditation in the past. The Tsolo College of Agriculture was one of such.
Our department has also partnered with the Netherlands government to support the Colleges Revitalisation Plan through the Nuffic-funded project, amounting to 2 million Euros to drive the transformation of colleges of agriculture into agricultural training institutes. Colleges have benefited a lot from this project as they have been capacitated in several skills to support their programmes.
In support of this initiative, especially to this particular college, DAFF has guided the processes in ensuring that Tsolo is defined as a centre of excellence in offering Para-veterinary training to our youth. This training field was identified as a scarce skill in the province and surrounding provinces, in support of addressing the animal health requirements of the province. Our department has provided and still continues to provide the college with the following support:
- Facilitating the accreditation of the institution by the Council on Higher Education which they received in 2012.
- In 2013, this college received provisional accreditation from the South African Veterinary Council to offer the Diploma in Animal Health.
- In support of this initiative, DAFF also provided state of the art mobile training units to support the animal health initiative.
- Next week, a team from the South African Veterinary Council will be visiting the college again to ensuring that this particular niche of animal health training is accorded the support it deserves.
- This year, we are committing R13,5 million to Tsolo College in support of its Colleges Revitalisation Plan.
I am also proud to announce that last year November, the department afforded students in colleges of agriculture the opportunity to participate in the international conference that was organised by the African Farm Management Association (AFMA) in Cape Town. Students from eleven colleges of agriculture were adjudicated in posters which they presented.
Positions one and two went to the Tsolo College for the outstanding posters that your students presented, emerging as exceptional from all other participants.
The AFMA president commended DAFF for exposing the future farmers to such an event and he indicated that this has not happened anywhere as far as he can remember. The session enabled the students to strengthen their exchange of information with agribusiness stakeholders and other scientists working on issues relating to African agriculture.
In conclusion, in October, DAFF will be facilitating a conference through the Netherlands-funded project, where colleges are going to showcase the programmes that have been supported. It is expected that the college students will also be the main participants during this conference.
May I, therefore, wish you all the luck while you venture into agriculture as a career of choice for the youth of this country.
Thank you.
