The KwaZulu-Natal MEC for Agriculture and Rural Development, Hon. MEC Ms. Thembeni Madlopha-Mthethwa, undertook her inaugural meeting with the executive members and Board of Trustees of the Agribusiness Development Agency (ADA), along with the KZN Farming Enterprise at the ADA offices in Cascades, Pietermaritzburg on Thursday, 27 June 2024.

This meeting was intended to explore the implementation of a turnaround strategy that will enable both entities to better serve the province and beyond. The Hon. MEC Thembeni Madlopha-Mthethwa, committed herself to spearheading this initiative by working diligently and also declared a strong commitment to championing women and youth empowerment programmes.

During her address, MEC Thembeni Madlopha-Mthethwa stated, "As a Department, we are enthusiastic about preserving the key priorities of both entities as well as enabling smart farming through various technologies, with the intent of making agriculture fashionable and appealing to the next generation of farmers.

It is these younger generations that will be responsible for implementing innovative practices to make the farming sector more appealing through the 4th Industrial Revolution. "This will aid in the effort to increase food security in the country, which is currently in decline as a result of natural disasters such as floods that have impacted the Province. The Department will continue to make great strides in encouraging youth to pursue employment prospects in the agricultural industry. Additionally, this will also shift the mind-sets of young people from being job seekers to creating a platform for them to become creators of employment,” said MEC Madlopha-Mthethwa.