The Free State provincial government will be hosting the first of its kind Provincial Youth in Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (YAFF) Awards at the Austoria Farm in Senekal on Thursday.
The event will be held from 5pm at the farm owned by 32-year-old Mzwakhe Mthimkhulu.
Free State premier Sisi Ntombela and the MEC for agriculture and rural development Thembeni Nxangisa will be at the forefront to acknowledge the outstanding contribution of the young farmers.
The YAFF Awards were introduced by the national Department of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development as a mechanism of developing 2 500 youth-owned enterprises countrywide every year.
In the province, the department worked tirelessly to invest and build the success of the young people.
“The provincial department of agriculture and rural development has also made great strides in attracting young people to take advantage of career opportunities within the sector, thereby shifting the mindsets of young people from being job seekers and creating a platform for them to become creators of employment,” said Nxangisa.
Nxangisa said this is a turning point for youngsters to take farming seriously and to contribute enormously in the food security for the country.
“We are building dreams for our young entrepreneurs while they also play a major role towards creating jobs and empowering one another through our sector.
“Young people have the energy and new dynamics to enhance productivity of goods and services in this sector, and through their commitment to do more and build their own legacy, we are surely on the right track to build a bright future for the province and the country,” added Nxangisa.
Young farmers from across the length and breadth of the province were invited to enter in the following categories: Subsistence Agriculture Award, Small Holder Agriculture Award, and Commercial Agriculture Award.
The Agro-Processing Award in small scale is a special award for a graduate from the Agricultural Training Institute, as well as the MEC Special Award for the deserving recipient.
Overall prizes for the winners are a whopping R550 000. The winners will also be guided on how to invest their winnings to help them continue building their businesses.
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