Pretoria - The South African agricultural sector has been highlighted time and again as an important sector of the economy with great potential to reduce poverty.
It is for that reason that school leavers are being encouraged to consider agriculture as a career.
According to the International Trade Administration, the 2020 fiscal for the agricultural sector alone contributed around 10% to South Africa’s total export earnings, at a value of $10.2 billion, largely as a result of exports in citrus, wine, table grapes, corn and apples.
With this in mind, Gauteng MEC for Social Development, Agriculture, Rural Development and Environment Mbali Hlophe encouraged learners of Mahlenga Senior Secondary School to consider agriculture as a career.
Hlophe was speaking at the school in Sokhulumi, 25km from Bronkhorstspruit, as part of the provincial government’s back-to-school campaign.
“Don’t let your current situation determine your future. If you think of your career path, look at your options and consider a future in agriculture because your area is rich in land. Food is a basic commodity because it is required daily by all of us.
“Waste management is also a venture to look into to make a living as this affects spaces we reside in. There are a lot of options out there which possibly your parents never had.”
Marie Venter, of the natural and agricultural sciences faculty at the University of Pretoria, said a number of opportunities within the agriculture sector fell into the scarce skills group. “It’s not just farming, it’s the science behind farming.”
Learners would require pure maths and physical science as subjects to obtain a degree or major qualification involving agriculture, Venter said.
Pretoria News