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The key role of Grain SA Farmer Development is to:
1.
Conduct overall supervision and monitoring of the interns through
Grain SA’s development managers in the province.
2.
Enable interns by assigning them to accompany experienced
mentors in conducting their daily tasks.
3.
Interns will be given specific tasks and be monitored and coached
by mentors.
4.
Mentors will continue carrying out their duties with one or two
Interns assigned to them.
5.
Every Friday, weekly reports are submitted to the provincial co-
ordinator for assessment.
Project progress
Sticks in a bundle are unbreakable – together we are making
a difference.
We are pleased to report that the DRDAR and Grain SA Farmer
Development Programme have already signed a five-year memorandum
of understanding which started in the 2017/2018 season – so we are
already about to embark on the second year of this inspiring project.
The interns have made the most of every opportunity presented them
so far in the programme. It is clear that they are excited by the learning
interventions they are being exposed to. They express particular
appreciation for the hands-on experience they are getting in practical
aspects of farming and farm management. The general response shows
their growing confidence in their own ability to visit other farmers and
make recommendations to them.
We have had such positive feedback from the project so far, that
both partners have been convinced that through this joint approach
we could
unlock job creation, commercialise rural farmers quicker,
and ensure engaged youth involvement
in the agricultural sector.
#TogetherWeMakeADifference! We are not shy to say we are very
excited to be part of growing the youth in the agricultural sector.
Grain SA’s Schools Programme
The global population is expected to increase to 9 billion by 2050
with the youth, aged between 15 to 24 years, making up at least 14%
of this total. According to the Food and Agriculture Organisation, rural
youth are the key to future food security. The dilemma we face is that
around the world few young people see a future for themselves either
in agriculture or in living in rural areas. It is a fact that most of the
world’s food is produced by smallholder farmers who are ageing – and
older farmers are less likely to adopt new technologies, which are
necessary for sustainable farming in a changing world exacerbated by
issues like growing populations and climate change.
Howard Blight, founder of Agricolleges International, says one
of the major misconceptions that needs to be addressed is that the
youth still perceive agriculture to be an ‘old-fashioned’ industry. In
reality access to technology, information and better communication,
together with improved equipment are changing the way we think
and the way things are done. There is therefore an urgent need to
engage youth in agriculture. Youth engagement can only happen if
there are visionary policymakers who create opportunities for young
people to be informed in a way that they see value and hope in the
sector. Young people need to be able to see themselves as part of an
agricultural evolution which will guide and sustain themselves and their
communities into the future.
Die sleutelrol van Graan SA Landbou-ontwikkeling is om:
1.
Algehele toesig oor die interns te hou en hulle te moniteer deur
middel van Graan SA se ontwikkelingsbestuurders in die provinsie.
2.
Interns te bemagtig deur hulle toe te wys om ervare mentors te
vergesel wat hulle daaglikse take uitvoer.
3.
Aan interns spesifieke take te gee en hulle deur mentors te laat
moniteer en afrig.
4.
Mentors toe te laat om hulle pligte uit te voer met een of twee
interns wat aan hulle toegewys word.
5.
Elke Vrydag weeklikse verslae vir evaluering aan die provinsiale
bestuurder voor te lê.
Projekvordering
Stokke in ’n bondel is onbreekbaar – saam maak ons ’n verskil.
Ons is ook trots om te rapporteer dat die DLOLH en Graan SA se
Landbou-ontwikkelingsprogram reeds ’n vyfjaar-memorandum van
verstandhouding onderteken het wat in die 2017/2018-seisoen begin
het. Ons begin dus reeds met die tweede jaar van hierdie inspirerende
projek. Die interns het elke geleentheid wat tot dusver in die program
aan hulle verskaf is, optimaal benut. Dit is duidelik dat hulle opge-
wonde is oor die leergeleenthede waaraan hulle blootgestel word.
Hulle spreek veral waardering uit oor die praktiese ervaring wat hulle
opdoen ten opsigte van die alledaagse boerdery en plaasbestuur. Die
algemene reaksie toon hulle toenemende vertroue in hulle eie vermoë
om ander boere te besoek en aanbevelings aan hulle te maak.
Ons het tot dusver uiters positiewe terugvoer oor die projek
ontvang, en albei vennote is oortuig dat ons deur middel van hierdie
gesamentlike benadering
werkskepping kan ontsluit, landelike
boere vinniger kan laat kommersialiseer, en die geïnteresseerde
betrokkenheid van die jeug in die landbousektor kan verseker
.
#TogetherWeMakeADifference! Ons is nie skaam om te sê dat ons
baie opgewonde is om die jeug in die landbousektor te laat groei nie.
Graan SA se skoleprogram
Die wêreldbevolking sal na verwagting teen 2050 tot 9 miljard
gegroei het, met jongmense tussen 15 en 24 jaar oud wat ten minste
14% van hierdie totaal sal uitmaak. Volgens die Voedsel- en Landbou-
organisasie is die landelike jeug die sleutel tot toekomstige voed-
selsekerheid. Die dilemma waarvoor ons te staan kom, is dat min
jongmense regoor die wêreld vir hulleself ’n toekoms in landbou of in
landelike gebiede sien. Dit is ’n feit dat die meeste van die wêreld se
voedsel geproduseer word deur kleinskaalse boere wat besig is om
te verouder – en ouer boere is minder geneig om nuwe tegnologie te
aanvaar, wat vir volhoubare boerdery in ’n veranderende wêreld nodig
is. Die uitdaging word deur kwessies soos groeiende bevolkings en
klimaatverandering vererger.
Howard Blight, stigter van Agricolleges International, sê een van die
groot wanopvattings wat hanteer moet word, is dat jongmense landbou
steeds as ’n outydse bedryf beskou. In werklikheid is toegang tot
tegnologie, inligting en beter kommunikasie, tesame met beter toerus
ting, besig om die manier te verander waarop ons dink en waarop
dinge gedoen word. Daar is dus ’n dringende behoefte om jongmense
by landbou te betrek. Jongmense se betrokkenheid kan net verkry
word as daar visionêre beleidmakers is wat vir jongmense geleenthede
skep om ingelig te bly op ’n manier wat hulle die waarde van en hoop
vir die sektor laat besef. Jongmense moet hulleself as deel beskou van
’n landbou-evolusie wat hulle en hulle gemeenskappe in die toekoms
sal lei en volhoubaar sal maak.
Landbou-ontwikkeling
Farmer development