The South African Sugar Association (SASA) boasts multiple divisions and centres that play an important role in the sustainability and growth of the South African sugarcane industry through research, administrative functions and technical, managerial, and support services.
South African Sugar Association divisions include the Sugarcane Research Institute (SASRI), Kwa-Shukela, Autolab, Shukela Training Centre, Sugar Terminal and Cane Testing Service.
Each of these facilities is based in various SASA locations across three provinces, KwaZulu-Natal, Mpumalanga and Gauteng and undertakes functions such as measuring the quality of individual grower canes through cane testing to calculate accurate values for cane payments. SASA provides apprenticeship training programmes through these divisions and centres in order to develop the engineering and agricultural skills for workers.
The courses cover specific areas that are suitable for cross-skilling and maintenance-worker training. The agricultural training that SASA provides is done on individual farms according to specific farm cycles. Training instructors are therefore able to instruct farm employees as they work, under specific operational conditions. Formal certificates are provided once training is completed.
SASA also serves to provide individual farmers and partners of the South Africa sugar industry with accurate information and rigorous research is done throughout certain divisions and centres to ensure the data collected is accurate.
Today, many countries, including South Africa sugar production, have again introduced sugar taxes because of rising concern over the negativ...