RE: Aganang LED Office celebrates the certification of young farmers



Aganang Municipality is proud of the young graduates from the Municipality graduated from a year long programme in Farming & Crop Production. BathoPele Agri Development Institute joined the NTK & Agri-Seta as a developmental partner to meet the needs of the South African Agricultural Industry in ensuring sustainable farming in agriculture. The aim of this programme is to furnish farmers with the necessary skills to enable them to manage their agricultural businesses successfully.

The Municipality had a very good story to tell as it managed to achieve many of basic needs needed by the communities in the previous years. Such achievements include being able to provide electricity and roads tarring to the communities and also providing basic free electricity to the indigent families. Aganang Municipality is also able to provide free basic Alternative Energy to new extension villages without electricity. Her Worship Mayor Cllr. Maria Mokobodi says even though they are proud of their achievements they are concerned on areas where there are backlog of basic service like provision of housing, water and sanitation.


A total number of 21 young graduates took part in the farmer training programme, where 20 of them graduated. The programme equipped young farmers with knowledge of the greater economic structure that agriculture operates within, skills for healthy business management, the basics of farm management & skills in farming practice. This programme was divided into two parts, one for theory and the other one practical integration and a visit to a best practice farm that served as a case sturdy. Learners were assessed by assessor from BathoPele Agri Development Institute for competency. Learners showed lot of happiness when receiving their completion certificates. They say the training will help them to be better farmers and that the practical element of the programme was very good. They say their facilitators were very brilliant and that the programme in general improved their management skills.

Mr. Ernest Deck of BathoPele Agri Development called upon the graduates to go and implement what they have learned during the training. He says they should not go and stay home with the skills they have acquired. The LED Manager in Aganang Municipality Mr.William Mathekgane promised the graduates that the Municipality will fully support their programmes. He says the LED Strategic plan fully supports agricultural development in the area falling within the municipality.

Cllr. Phaka Stephen when opening the certificate awarding ceremony emphasized a need for agriculture development in the municipality as it is 100% rural. He further urged young people to venture into farming as this will reduce the high percentage of unemployment among young people. He called on the certificates recipients to go and empower their peers in their various cooperatives.