A micro-cultivator of marijuana, one of the few licensed in Saskatchewan, is close to harvesting their first crop of plants, and have hopes of expanding their operation at their base in the RM of Weyburn.
Located in a non-descript building, the operators of ZEVK Cultivation Inc. recently hosted a tour by councillors and administrators from the City and RM of Weyburn, and explained some of the workings of their business.
ZEVK Cultivation is operated by CEO Muhammad Shahbaz, and master grower Sonny Sacopon, who took turns explaining various aspects of the grow operation, noting they will be selling their product to wholesalers of legalized marijuana.
The operation includes a “mother room”, and two grow rooms, with one containing 300 marijuana plants that are nearing maturity, with 12 hours of daylight and 12 hours of night. The second room had plants which are in the flowering stage.
The plants are grown in a hydroponic operation with no dirt involved, explained Sacopon, and the plants are on a three-month cycle.
Once the buds are harvested, they are put into a room for curing, which takes about three weeks to fully cure. The variety they are growing is called 24K Gold, said Shahbaz.
At the current time, the business employs Shahbaz and Sacopon, but as operations ramp up further, they might be able to employ 15 to 20 people, especially if they are able to expand things at all.
The goal is to be growing more of the plants, and if they are allowed at some point, they can process the buds and have a retail outlet on their site by expanding the building, said Shahbaz.
The business began setting up in their location about a year ago, and their first crop of 300 plants are getting close to being harvested now.
