Citrus growers qualification to give 450 pupils a skills boost

The Citrus Growers’ Association of South Africa (CGA) is giving pupils at 16 high schools in South Africa a leg up in the citrus industry through a qualification in citrus production.

More than 450 pupils at the 16 selected schools will be enrolled in the Citrus Secondary Programme in 2024, pioneered and facilitated by the Citrus Academy, a subsidiary of the CGA.

The Citrus Secondary Programme, aimed at Grade 10 and 11 pupils, will provide an opportunity for pupils to achieve a recognised plant production qualification while at school.

The qualification is being offered by schools in citrus-producing regions, Bonnievale and Riversdale, in the Western Cape; Patensie, Kirkwood and Fort Beaufort in the Eastern Cape; uMzimkhulu in KwaZuluNatal; Kakamas in the Northern Cape and Hoedspruit, N’wamitwa and Tzaneen in Limpopo.

The modules are timed to coincide with the citrus production cycle and pupils will be introduced to topics such as enterprise planning, irrigation, financial management, pest management and plant manipulation.

The programme is fully aligned with the curriculum and can be used as part of the school subject, Agricultural Management Practices, or it can be implemented as an extramural activity through which pupils can attain a valuable qualification, according to Jacomien de Klerk, the general manager of the Citrus Academy.

“It opens a path into an industry that can offer many opportunities.

“It addresses a challenge many school-leavers face, having few marketable skills while not having access to tertiary education,” said De Klerk.

Visit the Citrus Academy at citrusacademy.org.za. Jyothi Laldas