How Millennials Can Take Farming Into The Future

Group manager for assurance services at NWK, 34-year-old Jacqueline Mathews, maintains that South Africa’s agriculture sector needs tech-savvy, curious young people. Annelie Coleman reports.

HOW DID YOU GET INVOLVED IN AGRICULTURE AND WHY DID YOU CHOOSE TO DO SO?

I married a farmer from the Lichtenburg area. After I qualified as a CA (SA), we moved to the farm and I started working at an auditing firm in town. The agribusiness NWK was a client of the business. Through my dealings with NWK, I became increasingly interested in the inner workings of the agricultural industry. When an opportunity became available in the internal audit department of NWK, I applied for the position.

In my experience, people working in agriculture really do care about farmers. They understand the demands, challenges and opportunities that the primary producers of food and fibre in South Africa face. Compared with the rest of the local corporate world, there is much better interaction between the role players in the agriculture sector. The sense of community that runs through the entire value chain is a huge bonus. For me, it’s insightful to understand farming from both perspectives, that of the farmer and the business, and simultaneously to be involved in the full value chain.

WOULD YOU ENCOURAGE OTHER YOUNG PEOPLE TO CONSIDER A CAREER IN AGRICULTURE?

It’s estimated that the world’s population will reach more than nine billion by 2050, which implies that agricultural production will have to increase. More people means that more food will be required, so there’ll always be longterm opportunities in agriculture.

This increase in food production will have to be achieved against a backdrop of many challenges, including climate change, limited resources, increased difficulty in obtaining land, and the uncertainties regarding land reform. I believe, though, that as we address these challenges, more opportunities will arise.