Mr Price Foundation Celebrates New HandPicked Agriculture Graduates
Mr Price Foundation Celebrates New HandPicked Agriculture Graduates. Mr Price Foundation has recognised a new group of graduates from its HandPicked Agriskills Development Programme during graduation ceremonies held in Hammarsdale, KwaZulu-Natal, and Cape Town, as the initiative continues to prepare young people for careers in agriculture.
The HandPicked programme is the foundation’s youth development initiative focused on agriculture. It offers Farming Essentials and Professional Farming courses that provide participants with practical agricultural, business and workplace skills for opportunities in horticulture, commercial farming and agricultural enterprise.
The training curriculum includes hydroponics, crop management, plant nutrition, pest and disease management, record keeping and controlled environment agriculture.
Programme manager for the Mr Price Foundation Skills Development Programme, Yurissa Sawers, said the initiative aims to prepare participants for the future of the agricultural sector.
“South Africa’s agricultural future will depend on young people who understand both the science and the business of farming,” said Sawers.
“Through HandPicked, we are equipping participants with practical, workplace-ready skills that help them see agriculture as a pathway to employment, enterprise and long-term economic participation.”
The Farming Essentials Programme runs over two months and introduces participants to modern horticulture through practical training. The course covers hydroponics, planting, fertilising, AgriBoost application, pest and disease management, harvesting and record keeping.
Participants who complete the introductory course can continue to the six-month Professional Farming Programme, which combines advanced technical instruction with business and commercial skills.
According to the foundation, both programmes integrate online learning with practical experience in working farming environments to help participants develop workplace-ready skills.
The foundation said practical agricultural training plays an important role as South Africa seeks to address youth unemployment while strengthening local food systems.
HandPicked forms part of the Mr Price Foundation’s broader objective of positively impacting 500,000 young people through skills development initiatives by 2035.
Sawers said the latest graduates are entering a sector that continues to require new ideas and practical expertise.
“These graduates represent the next generation of agricultural talent,” she said.
“They are stepping into a sector that needs innovation, resilience and new thinking, and they are equipped to contribute in meaningful ways.”
The graduation ceremonies marked another milestone for the programme as it continues to equip participants with practical skills designed to support employment opportunities and careers within South Africa’s agricultural sector.
