Setting Setting the SCENE

An ever-evolving agricultural landscape

NNaturally after spending almost 20 years of my total career at the Western Cape Department of Agriculture many changes have been witnessed in the agricultural landscape. Agriculture has met and is still meeting its fair share of challenges, such as the impact of the recent COVID-19 pandemic, the threat of a possible Day Zero through the drought the Western Cape faced, threats on food security and the impact of climate change, to mention but a few.

These “threats” have shown the Department’s strengths and resilience, which lie at the heart of its human capital.

It is through working in a productive, efficient, collaborative and innovative fashion, and through developing others to reach their full potential, that we have been able to meet these challenges head-on. It is therefore perhaps the human capital aspect, in particular the development of youth, that pulls strongest for me.

Youth Month has just gone and reflecting over the last five years, almost 1 000 young people benefitted from our internships, bursaries and the Young Professional Persons Programmes. At our many career exhibitions, thousands more have received information on careers in agriculture. Some of them find themselves today in the Department or the agricultural sector.

One of the Department’s most recent successes worth mentioning, is receiving the 19th Public Sector Innovation Award in the category: Replication and Adaptation of Innovative Solutions from the Centre for Public Service Innovation. The award was for the Department’s Resource Efficiency project. Through this project, awareness was raised about conserving energy and water as scarce resources, and Solar PV panels were installed, which brought about huge savings for the Department, bringing us a step closer to our goal of not being totally reliant on the grid.

I am also thrilled with the recently launched Agri-Processing On Wheels initiative. This is not only for the initiative, but because it was started from scratch by our very own Young Professional Person and now Professional Food Scientist.

In this edition of the Agriprobe magazine, we delve into issues such as the prevention of disease through the application of biosecurity measures, partnerships established to grow climate change resilience, the Food Garden Competition (which is closely linked to Minister Meyer’s One Home, One Garden Campaign), the hemp industry as a possible job creator, and so much more.

With my impending retirement from public service, I take a moment to reflect on my tenure within the Department, and I am forever grateful for the role I was afforded to play within such a dynamic environment. I am humbled to have been a cog in such a well-oiled machine, and for having worked with such amazing people over the years.

Though somewhat early, I bid you adieu, and it is with excitement that I look forward to keep witnessing the ever-evolving agricultural landscape, albeit from a different vantage point. #ForTheLoveOfAgriculture