BARBERTON – Shongwe is urging ambitious female farmers, particularly young black women, to pursue careers in agriculture.

She owns a one-hectare plot of land outside town on which she grows vegetables, cabbage, spinach and butternuts, as well as a piggery with 21 pigs. She said women are the key to solving food security, as they bring unique solutions to the food issues affecting many communities.

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“I was raised on a farm. Agriculture is life to me since it produces everything from the clothes we wear to the food we consume every day. As a result, there is no such thing as life without agriculture.” Shongwe attended a Youth in Agriculture Programme at the Barberton Environmental Centre, hosted by the Department’s Transversal Unit on Wednesday.

“I started farming in 2020 as part of the Department of Agriculture’s Fortune 40 Incubation Programme. I wanted to empower black farmers by assisting them to gain access to agricultural resources and possibilities. Farming is not easy. I had numerous problems, including transportation and implements, but I never gave up,” she said. “We are raised with the belief that farming is only for the elderly and not for the young. Women should learn to be patient, since you never know if a plant will thrive or not when you plant it. Faith and determination are all that are required for planting.”