President Cyril Ramaphosa announced plans to deploy 10,000 agricultural extension officers, but the Agriculture Department says the commitment has yet to receive a dedicated budget allocation
President Cyril Ramaphosa’s promise to hire 10,000 agricultural extension officers and a further 10,000 labour inspectors appears to remain unfunded, months after he made the commitment.
Agriculture Minister Willem Aucamp said the Department of Agriculture had not yet received a dedicated budget allocation to implement the commitment and was still engaging National Treasury and the Presidency to secure funding.
“The Department of Agriculture (DoA) has not yet received a dedicated budget allocation for the implementation of the President’s commitment to employ 10,000 Agricultural Extension Practitioners announced during the 2026 State of the Nation Address,” Aucamp said.
“With reference to the response to the written parliamentary question 4492, the DoA is currently engaging with the National Treasury and the Presidency on mechanisms to secure sustainable funding for the implementation of this commitment,” he said.
