The International Agricultural Academy for Africa (i3A) is striving to be the leading source of impact-driven agricultural training solutions on the African continent.
As part of the i3A initiative to promote our slogan, “Agriculture goes way beyond agriculture”, we certainly know that taking up this challenge is not a single academic exercise to be unfolded over a short period. We see this as a collaborative task between i3A as an academic institution and several commercial role-players within the heart and business of the agricultural industry. This partnership can also not only include a single commercial partner who is engaged in the full value chain of a specific agricultural enterprise but also requires several industry role-players as partners from the agricultural suppliers’ side, such as input providers of animal health products, animal feed specialists, equipment manufacturers, technology suppliers and breeders of genetically improved breeds.
The Bovine Academy for southern Africa (Pty) Ltd, or BASA, is a specialist affiliated academy of the International Agricultural Academy for Africa that was established to provide SAQA accredited qualifications and industry customised training curriculums to meet the employment needs of students, farmers, farmworkers and agripreneurs in the cattle industry.
BASA as an affiliated academy of i3A was established in 2020 to provide specialised beef cattle production training as fully accredited learnerships to the Sernick Groups’ Emerging Farmer Programme. This project was part of a Jobs Fund and National Treasury project, whereby 660 prospective cattle farmers were recruited and trained through a collaboration agreement between i3A’s Bovine Academy and the Sernick Group. 300 Farmers from this group were selected and further equipped with technical skills to enable them to develop their herds to a commercial level. Another 50 farmers from these 300 farmers, were upskilled into viable commercial entities with their own sustainable production capacity.
As part of the second phase of collaboration, The Sernick Development Company, SerDev, in April 2022 welcomed ABSA Bank on board to capacitate and add an additional 100 farmers as beneficiaries to this development programme.
The vision of the Bovine Academy for southern Africa is economic prosperity and food security for all. The BASA training programmes are a step in that direction!
To enquire about, or to apply for a specialised qualification in the Beef Production Value chain, visit www.basa.africa.
Read more about this exciting project at https://www.proagri.co.za/en/sernick-group-announces-collaboration-with-absa/
