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Trailblazer
for youth in agriculture
M
ost superheroes wear capes,
but in real life, they do not. They
come in the form of regular
people like Mr Breyton Millford,
who does extraordinary things for his com-
munity.
Millford is an operations manager at Agri-
Expo in the Western Cape. He was born in
a town called Port Nolloth, a small domes-
tic seaport in the Namaqua region. He has
many fond memories of his community,
especially their humility. He loves farming
with a passion and believes that agricul-
ture is part of his DNA. His first exposure to
farming was through his grandfather and
family friends.
Later on in his life, his uncle started to farm
full-time and he used to help on the farm.
Millford attended an agricultural school
called Augsburg in Clanwilliam, which
wasn’t his first choice. However, looking
back, he feels that things worked out well.
Being one of only a few students of colour
posed quite a challenge at first, given cul-
tural differences. Later in his school career,
he was elected as part of the student body
of the school. This allowed him to make an
impact for the learners who elected him,
while building his leadership capacity for
future roles.
During the time he was at Grootfontein
College of Agriculture, he received the
John Deere award for Best Agricultural Stu-
dent of the Year, which was a first for a stu-
dent of colour. This was by far the highlight
of his study years and opened many doors
for him.
He has visited over ten countries around the
world and believes that every one is unique.
Coming from South Africa with so many
negatives, he believes we could learn from
a country such as Papua New Guinea. If we
look at the challenges they face we will re-
alise that we are in a much better position.
Singapore stood out for him due to their ef-
ficiency, as well as France, where agriculture
is huge – and they embrace it. His experi-
ence of and exposure to agriculture in other
countries has made him come to under-
stand that if we would like to empower ag-
riculture we need to be up to date and stay
abreast with the latest trends.
Close to Millford’s heart is the youth; he
feels that if we do not educate, empower and
inform the youth about the opportunities in
agriculture, we are heading for a crisis. He
believes the private sector and government
should do more by working together more
often and making a bigger impact that way.
Agri-Expo is a good example.
‘Considering the challenges faced by young
people in their quest to become produc-
ers, we can definitely be proud of them and
how innovative they are,’ he said. He says
he is encouraged by the number of children
(more than 2 000 per year) taking part in ag-
ricultural competitions.
During these competitions, the seed is
planted for children to become aware of the
opportunities agriculture holds. Looking at
the number of participants who study agri-
culture after school, we are definitely mak-
ing a difference.
Millford stated that even after he had won
an award for addressing the shortage of
agricultural teachers in the Western Cape,
it remained a challenge. Although some of
them are the best in the country, there are
only three agricultural schools and one col-
lege in the province.
Millford is the chairperson of the Na-
tional Agricultural Youth Association,
whose primary role is to encourage
the youth to get involved in ag-
riculture through youth shows.
Youth shows have grown tre-
mendously over the past few
years. Manuals and information
of the highest quality are gen-
erated this way.
This cultivates an affinity for
agriculture in learners and
helps them to learn a variety
of skills – and encourages
entrepreneurship. Agri-Ex-
po is a dynamic and unique
organisation. It is the old-
est agricultural society in
South Africa. They have
a dynamic team and
when they handle an
event, they do it in
such a way that the
agricultural sector
can be proud of it.
He is a part-time
farmer, but does
not own a farm.
However, he raises cattle for an additional
income – it is actually more of a
‘
break away
’
when the corporate life gets a bit tough. A
colleague describes him as someone who
has restored her faith in humanity. His re-
sponse to this is that he always tries to see
the positive things in life (obviously always
being realistic). He believes ‘as jy jou een-
kant hou, sal jy eenkant bly’ and always
tries to bring people together – whether it
is black or white, agricultural producers or
public, young or old.
He believes that there is always hope and
that by accepting others, you can make
them and yourself stronger.
57
February 2019
RELEVANT
Profile
Breyton Millford
IKAGENG MALULEKE,
junior economist, Grain SA