NATIONAL CERTIFICATE IN PLANT PRODUCTION - CANNABIS & HEMP
(NQF 4 – SAQA ID: 49009)
1 YEAR COURSE
AGRISETA ACCREDITED 
R47,990
PAY 2023 PRICES WHEN SIGNING UP FOR 2024 BEFORE 5 DEC 2023!

This programme is delivered in partnership with Agricolleges - South Africa’s leading online agricultural education organisation.

GENERAL DETAILS LANGUAGE:
English

DELIVERY METHOD:
Online Course*, monthly Zoom lectures*,7 days practical in South Africa (November)

FULL TIME:
35 Hours per Week

2024 Fees:
Upfront: R47,990
Instalments: R52,800

PAY 2023 PRICES WHEN PAYING UPFRONT OR THE DEPOSIT BY 5TH DEC 2023.
Upfront: R44,900
Instalments: R49,400 (Deposit of R14,900 required by 5th Dec 2023)

PAYMENT TERMS:
OPTION 1: In full upfront
OPTION 2: Various instalment payment plans available (10% surcharge applicable)

WHO MAY APPLY?
The course is open to anyone, from anywhere in the world

PLEASE NOTE: This course requires students to attend practicals in South Africa.International students are welcome to enrol, but will be responsible for their own travel arrangements, and associated cost, to attend the required practical sessions. Food and accommodation is included in the fee.

*requires stable internet access and access to a PC, tablet or smart phone. 

The legal Cannabis industry is one of the fastest growing and most exciting and dynamic industries in the world. It has the potential to contribute significantly towards Africa’s job creation, our economies and our continent's health. However in order for the industry to realise its full potential, Africa needs a skilled workforce who understand how to cultivate and manage the Cannabis value chain. 
This full time programme provides learners with the opportunity to engage in farm management and operational activities relevant to Plant Production in the Cannabis and Hemp industries. The programme will equip learners with the necessary skills to start their own small scale Cannabis or Hemp farms and provide important skills needed for those wanting to seek employment in the agricultural side of the Cannabis and Hemp industries.

The qualification will form the basis for learners to extend their learning into more specialised areas of plant production and provides the basis of the establishment of sustainable farming operations through the inclusion of a wide spectrum of competencies required by farmers. Universal farming principles are taught and combined with specialist Cannabis and Hemp farming principles to support learners wanting to enter into the Cannabis and Hemp industries.

Whilst technical production orientated competencies are ensured, other aspects such as agri-business and good agricultural practices are included in the range of competencies required by farmers in order to enable them to strive towards agricultural management standards and practices at higher levels.

Note: A large part of the learning takes place online and students will require regular internet access via a PC, tablet or smartphone to successfully complete this course

CURRICULUM

The course will start with 1 (one) week of free self-study in a preparatory orientation course including:
- Getting to grips with Online Studying
- Cyber Safety
- Google Suite

Students who have completed this, do not need to complete this again. Students will receive a certificate on completion for the orientation course. This is a free add-on offered to all students to assist them in achieving success on the learning management platform.

Once the preparatory courses have been completed, learners will work through the following core modules:
- Agribusiness Management – 9 weeks
- Sustainable Agricultural Practices – 8 weeks
- Crop Establishment – 9 weeks
- Crop Growing – 9 weeks
- Crop Harvesting – 7 weeks

Additional learning:
- Understanding the Cannabis Industry
- 10 x Zoom classes covering various Cannabis and Hemp topics
- 7 day practical on a Cannabis partner farm in Gauteng province (towards the end of the course)

Although most of the learning and assessment will take place on our integrated online platform, a 7 day practical learning component will take place at a Cheeba Cannabis Academy Cannabis partner farm in Gauteng province to provide students with practical knowledge and skills. The cost for practical activities, accommodation and meals are included in course fees. Transport to and from the practicals destinations will be for the student’s own expense. 

COURSE UNITS

1. Introduction to Agriculture / Plant Production & Agribusiness (Credits 40)
Learners will understand the importance of the application of business principles in agricultural production with specific reference to the Cannabis and Hemp industries.

2. Planning, Implementation & Establishment of a Sustainable Agricultural enterprise (Credits 38)
Learners will understand the external and internal factors influencing agricultural production, communication and reporting skills as well as the procedures and principles that are followed to determine the viability and sustainability of a Cannabis and Hemp enterprise.

3. Growing Agricultural Crops (Credits 41)
Learners will be able to prepare and categorise collected and recorded information in an agricultural environment to support the infrastructure development of a Cannabis and Hemp agricultural enterprise.

4. Harvesting & Post-Harvest of Agricultural crops (Credits 24)
Learners will be able to check, receive and store a range of agricultural inputs appropriately to facilitate the growing of a successful Cannabis and Hemp crops.Learners will be able to develop a harvesting plan for the specific agricultural crop, and participate in the development and management of an agricultural marketing plan.

5. Understanding the Cannabis Industry
Learners will gain an understanding of the full Cannabis supply chain including medicinal, industrial and recreational. They will also learn about licensing, the legal framework and market access.

COURSE DELIVERY

This online course combines e-learning with practical and shared learning opportunities in a five-pronged approach:

1. Students learn independently through the online tool.
2. Students and lecturers collaborate online to share information and learn from each other.
3. Students do remote practical assignments at home, filming and recording their work with a mobile device and uploading the photos or video as evidence on the Learning Management System (LMS).
4. Students attend 7 days of ‘in-person’ practicals at a Cheeba Cannabis Academy Cannabis partner farm in Gauteng province.
5. Students attend 10 online Zoom classes covering various Cannabis and Hemp topics.

Our Learner Management System (LMS) includes advanced tools and functionality to enable a full suite of blended learning opportunities. The Brightspace LMS delivers this functionality through its South African based distributor and partner, Visions Consulting. Brightspace is a digital learning platform that helps schools and institutions deliver powerful, secure and personalised learning experiences.

Each group of students is allocated a Course Consultant who oversees the progress of students. Regular communication, notices and guidance is offered by the course consultant. Students are encouraged to also communicate with each other and share their course experiences. This allows for a deeper and more meaningful learning experience.

ENTRY REQUIREMENTS

The range of typical learners that will enter this qualification will vary and includes:

- School leavers with at least Grade 10 (South African DBE system or equivalent)

- Students without Grade 10, but with practical experience on farms, are also encouraged to apply and may be granted entry through Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL)

- Applicants must be over 18 years old

- Part of the application process will require prospective course participants to complete an admissions assessment. This assessment has been put in place to ensure the success of our students

- Students must be able to attend 7 days at a practicals destination in Gauteng, South Africa

On achieving this qualification, the learner will be able to:

• Manage Supervisors and working teams, performing the agricultural processes as applicable to Plant Production in a range of Plant  Production taking responsibility for the quality and quantity of outputs.Take complete responsibility for her/his own actions and also take responsibility for supervising others at lower levels within a Plant Production context under broad guidance and evaluation.
• Competency will be gained in any of the specialized sub-fields of Plant Production as specified under Areas of Specialization with a strong focus on management.
• Take responsible decisions within a wide range based on a sound understanding of the basic principles of agribusiness and good agricultural practices, in meeting the set objectives and targets within the broader farm plan which includes the economical application of general resources, agricultural production and technical knowledge and skills, all in a Plant Production context.
• Oversee the implementation of a wide range of procedures and will be able to ensure the relevant safety, quality, hygiene and technical standards as applicable within the industry.
• Will be well positioned to extend learning and practice into other sub-fields such as Plant Production and Mixed Farming, since such efforts will only require additional learning within the elective scope of other qualifications at this level.
• Will be well positioned to progress towards higher levels of Management and Technical production practices as defined by qualifications at the next level.
• Learners will be enabled to actively participate in the Primary Agricultural Sector through the production of quality agricultural products, enhancing the overall agricultural process and gain opportunities to access local, national and international agricultural markets.
• This qualification will allow qualifying learners to become economically active in farming practices that will have a direct impact on Local Economic Development through the production of food, the improvement of household food security and access to mainstream agriculture.
• Learners will be able to guide and direct others in terms of the planning, implementation and control of development projects within a Plant Production context.
• Navigate the Cannabis and Hemp licensing processes

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