Agriculture and Nature Conservation - Secondary Agriculture
Purpose: The purpose of this qualification is to provide learners with the opportunity to progress in their understanding of the agricultural field through the inculcation of a deeper and more systematic understanding of current thinking, practice, theory and methodology in that industrial area. The learner will also be prepared for further Postgraduate study by the development of their ability to formulate, undertake and resolve more complex theoretical and practice-related problems and tasks through the selection and use of appropriate methods and techniques. As a result, studying towards this qualification will supply the agricultural industry with competent agriculturalists that can be positioned as managers in agricultural enterprises. The qualifying learner will have had exposure and orientation to various agricultural systems and will be competent to manage and apply their basic knowledge, skills and attitudes towards agricultural production at a higher level than was the case with the National Diploma.
Rationale: South Africa on various counts has a limited potential in terms of agricultural production and food security. Sophisticated farming practices have enabled large farming units to not only survive but to increase their profits dramatically. However, the conditions for achieving such profits are also sophisticated and raised commanding barriers to entering the productive agricultural industry. The number of employing (commercial) farming units has decreased to about 30 000 by 2015. The total number of farm employees has dropped from 1,6 million in 1971 to 628,000 in 2005. Given the population increase over that time, agriculture's contribution to national employment dropped from 8,3% to 1,3% in relative terms. This is still more than for mining sector (419 000) but less than the transport sector (947 000) as in the 2011 national census. This qualification therefore, is designed to create an economically relevant improved understanding of the general conditions for industrial success in agriculture; the best practices in agricultural production; and the food security of the country, urban in particular. Such an improved understanding has to be obtained by various means of which tertiary education is core. The importance of managing marginal land in South Africa is both an art and a science as is highlighted by the issues such as: water shortage, natural aridity, the occurrence of salinization, the little fertile land available and the degradation of land by overgrazing. Gaining both the art and the science is a challenge that needs to be managed carefully. In particular, subsistence farming which benefits more than 2 million South Africans has to benefit from proven best practices. Secondly, those participating in subsistence farming have to be informed of the eco-impact of what they do. Finally, subsistence farmers, especially on land with economic potential, need to see the importance of producing surpluses, i.e. of becoming commercial farmers.
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