A Stellenbosch-based cultivator and distributor of medical cannabis has exported tissue culture to Israel, adding to a growing list of firsts for South Africa.
The Zetler family name carries great weight in Stellenbosch. Four generations have farmed in the district, specialising in strawberry and hydroponic sweet pepper production. In 2017, the Zetler's cannabis company, Felbridge, applied to become a licenced cannabis producer.
Felbridge's licence to grow on 14,000 square-metres, granted by the South African Health Products Regulatory Authority (SAHPRA), was awarded less than a year after the landmark Constitutional Court ruling which decriminalised the private, personal use of cannabis. This ruling has played an important role in setting the roadmap for the commercialisation and industrialisation of cannabis.
The company's latest deal, in partnership with Perfect Plants in the Netherlands, has seen the successful export of a batch of cannabis tissue culture to a licensed producer in Israel. Another first for South Africa.
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