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11 February 2009

The Department of Agriculture will hand over about 400 laptops and cell phones to its extension and advisory services officials in a bid to improve their communications methods.

The handover will take place during the last day of the Extension Indaba which kicks off today (11 February 2009) in East London where provincial extension and advisory officials will gather to craft ways to improve their image and capacity with special emphasis on professionalism.

The Indaba comes in the wake of the launch of an extension and advisory services recovery plan, which has recruitment, training and capacitating, salary adjustments and information and communications technology (ICT) skills and resources as its pillars.

The aim of the Indaba is not only to hand over laptops but to ensure that these essential officials who work with farmers on the ground were workshoped and encouraged to continue their good job.

The laptops and cell phones will enable these officials to communicate and capture data while they are on the field and be able to provide farmers with immediate answers thereby minimising the risks of livestock or plant losses in event of breakouts.

It is the department’s policy to ensure that officials are developed and capacitated so that there can be a smooth service delivery with the aim of developing peri-rural and rural areas to realise the agrarian transformation that will lead to poverty free society.

Extension and advisory services is one of the most essential weapons of the department to mobilise society to go back to the fields and the department has committed itself to ensure officials are equipped to better services. Members of the media are hereby asked to attend this august event, especially on the second, which will feature the historic hand over.

Details of the event:
Venue: Latimus Landing (E.L)
Date: 11 and 12 February 2009
Times: 18h00 and 8h30

Issued by: Department of Agriculture, Eastern Cape Provincial Government
11 February 2009