The KwaZulu-Natal MEC for the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, Mrs Thembeni kaMadlopha-Mthethwa, has urged post-matriculation students to pursue agriculture as their chosen field. She addressed hundreds of students on Friday 13 February 2026 at the Mtubatuba Civic Centre during the local municipality's Mayoral Excellence Awards ceremony, saying 'We have an ageing group of farmers; hence, we need young farmers to infuse the sector with their enthusiasm and energy."

"The sector has grown so much that it uses modern technology such as diagnostic methods to detect diseases and uses drones to spray chemicals on plants. That is something that the youth of today can relate to. We offer bursaries, learnerships and internship programmes for young people and graduates. These programmes provide hands-on experience in various agricultural fields, such as livestock production, crop production and agricultural business management. We also offer Agricultural Diplomas through Owen Sithole College of Agriculture and Cedara College."

"We encourage you to consider specialising in this field to become experts and tackle challenges we currently face. Perhaps, you may become leading experts in addressing pressing issues like climate change, Fall Army Worm and developing solutions for animal diseases such as Foot-and-Mouth Disease," explained kaMadlopha-Mthethwa.