By Matsobane Manaka & Zwi Maphiri
School-going learners who study agriculture as one of their subjects from Ngwana-Kwena Secondary School in Sekhukhune District had a rare opportunity to get exposure visit at an export agriculture entity called Rahlagane Table Grapes, which is a walking distance from the said school.
This was made possible by the Limpopo Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (LDARD) in response from the Cell C concept of take a girl and a boy child to work, said Mabushulane Lekgau.
Lekgau continued that this annual initiative seeks not only to empower and provide guidance, but to encourage inspiration and instilling a sense of self-confidence and self-motivation among learners to maximise their potential.
It is the duty and responsibility as the department as a sector to embark in this exercise to build capacity through exposures. Agriculture is one of the sectors that government has identified as the key for Limpopo province to survive because it is predominantly rural province. It depends largely on agriculture and most certainly extended to mining and tourism, said Lekgau.
Learners were taken through the 10-hectare (ha) Rahlagane project from the field to chemical storage and to the pack house. Farm manager, Joyce Mahloele explained the step-by-step processes of the project from establishment, membership, the type of grapes produced, partnership with Schoonbee who enabled the project to access export market and the profit margin. She further explained the infrastructure support by the department since its inception. The project, through the tribal authority, is currently on expansion with additional ha that will subsequently create additional job opportunity to local community and provide skills development to students especially from Tompi Seleka College of Agriculture.
Exposing learners to work environment in a quest to draw their interest especially in agriculture to consider being farmers themselves will go a long way to develop the province, said Sekate Nkadimeng, agricultural advisor. In his motivation, he said preparing them to grow into becoming farmers one day starts now while young.
Learners were encouraged to double up their efforts in learning because tomorrow belongs to them, said Precious Maluleke.
Farm Manager, Mmakubu Joyce Mahloele, who flanked by learners shows them the other cultivars.
