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Agriculture
High-potential arable land comprises only 22% of total arable land. About 12% of the country’s surface area can be used for crop production. Some 1,3 million hectares (ha) are under irrigation.
Agricultural activities range from intensive crop production and mixed farming to cattle ranching in the bushveld, and sheep farming in the more arid regions. The Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries is responsible for production and resource management; agricultural support services; trade and economic development; food
safety and biosecurity; forestry; and marine aquaculture.
Economic contribution
Primary agriculture contributes about 3% to South Africa’s gross domestic product (GDP) and about 7% to formal employment. However, there are strong linkages into the economy, so that the agro-industrial sector comprises about 12% of GDP.
For the past five years, agricultural exports have contributed on average about 6,5% of total South African exports. Exports increased from 5% (1988) to 46% (2009) of agricultural production.
The largest export groups are wine, citrus, maize, grapes, sugar, apples, pears and quinces. Other important export products are undermatured ethyl alcohol, avocados, pineapples, dates, preserved fruit and nuts, as well as hides and skins.
Did you know?
In June 2010, President Jacob Zuma launched the Masibuyele i Emasimini mechanisation scheme, a food-production intensification programme, at Marapyane Village in Mpumalanga.
This project affords black farmers a realistic chance to improve production, increase yields and gain access to domestic and global markets. The project also ensures the utilisation of fallow land and seeks to resuscitate collapsed land-reform projects.
By March 2010, a further increase in the productive land as a result of Masibuyele Emasimini indicated a coverage of 36 223 ha of land. In all, 42 430 households are benefiting from this intervention.
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Production
Producer prices of agricultural products increased on average by 2,6% from 2008 to 2009. The weighted average price of field crops dropped by 7,4%. This was mainly the result of lower prices received for winter grains, oilseeds, summer grains, dry beans and cotton, which decreased by 24,3%; 20,7%; 9,5%; 8,4%; and 5,8%, respectively. Prices of vegetables, fruit and viticultural products increased by 42,3%; 6,8%; and 1,8%; respectively.
The weighted average price of animal products was 6,2% higher in 2009 than in 2008. Prices received for poultry and slaughtered stock increased by 12,9% and 3,7%, respectively, while the average price of pastoral products and dairy products decreased by 4,5% and 2,4%, respectively.
The demand for meat remained strong and meat prices increased between 8% and 15%.The prices of milk and most dairy products decreased in 2009 due to the surplus production of raw milk in 2008 and a slump in international dairy prices.
The prices of milk and most dairy products decreased in 2009 due to the surplus production of raw milk in 2008 and a slump in international dairy prices.
| (R’000) |
| Field crops |
|
| Maize |
16 346 |
| Wheat |
3 057 |
| Hay |
3 198 |
| Grain sorghum |
474 |
| Sugar cane |
4 769 |
| Groundnuts |
715 |
| Tobacco |
262 |
| Sunflower seed |
2 378 |
| Cotton |
80 |
| Other |
3 178 |
| Total |
34 457 |
| Horticulture |
|
| Viticulture |
3 297 |
| Citrus fruit |
4 628 |
| Subtropical fruit |
2 030 |
| Deciduous and other fruit |
8 040 |
| Vegetables |
7 843 |
| Potatoes |
4 058 |
| Other |
1 890 |
| Total |
31 786 |
| Animal products |
|
| Wool |
1 234 |
| Poultry and poultry products |
23 165 |
| Cattle and cattle products |
12 808 |
| Sheep and goats slaughtered |
3 107 |
| Pigs slaughtered |
3 126 |
| Milk |
9 138 |
| Other |
10 291 |
| Total |
62 869 |
| Grand total |
129 112 |
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Field crops and horticulture
The gross income from field crops decreased by 21,2%, from R40 306 million in 2008 to R31 768 million in 2009. This was mainly a result of a decrease of income from maize, wheat and sunflower seed by 25,2%; 45,1%; and 38,6%; respectively.
- Maize is the largest locally produced field crop, and the most important source of carbohydrates in the Southern African Development Community (SADC) for animal and human consumption. South Africa is the main maize producer in the
SADC region, with an average production of about 9,7 Mt a year over the past 10 years. It is estimated that more than 8 000 commercial maize producers are responsible for the major part of the South African crop, while the rest is produced by thousands of small-scale producers. Maize is produced mainly in North West, the Free State and Mpumalanga. A total of 12,6 Mt of maize was produced in the 2008/09 on 2,9 million ha of land (non-commercial agriculture included).
- Wheat is produced in the Western Cape and the Free State. In 2009, 1,96 Mt were produced on 642 500 ha of land.
- South Africa is the world’s 12th-largest producer of sunflower seed. An area of 636 800 ha was planted in 2008/09, producing 801 000 t.
- There are about 35 300 sugar-cane growers in South Africa, the majority of whom are small, medium and micro-enterprises (SMMEs) and who collectively farm 391 483 ha of sugar cane. Sugar-cane farms vary in size and subsistence
farms average 1,7 ha, while family owned farms average 186 ha.
- South Africa is the leading exporter of protea cut flowers, which account for more than half of proteas sold on the world market.
| (R’000) |
| Maize |
12 567 |
| Wheat |
1 928 |
| Sugar cane |
20 411 |
| Grain sorghum |
318 |
| Groundnuts |
113 |
| Sunflower seed |
833 |
| Citrus fruit |
2 218 |
| Subtropical fruit |
655 |
| Vegetables |
2 442 |
| Potatoes |
1 819 |
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Some other crops
- Deciduous fruit is grown mainly in the Western Cape and in the Langkloof Valley in the Eastern Cape. Smaller production areas are found along the Orange River and in the Free State, Mpumalanga and Gauteng.
- The gross income from field crops decreased by 21,2%, from R40 306 million in 2008 to R31 768 million in 2009, because of a decrease of income from maize, wheat and sunflower seed by 25,2%; 45,1%; and 38,6%; respectively.
These decreases were the result of both a drop in production and lower prices received by farmers.
- Citrus production is largely limited to irrigation areas and takes place in Limpopo (16 255 ha), Mpumalanga (11 681 ha), the Eastern Cape (12 923 ha), KwaZulu-Natal (4 004 ha), the Western Cape (9 524 ha) and Northern Cape (639 ha). In
2009, income from citrus showed a decrease of 20,7% and amounted to R4 628 million. In 2009, South Africa produced 655 156 t of subtropical fruit, which were 73 950 t or 10,1% more than in 2008.
- The third crop estimate made by producer cellars and viticulturists in the various regions during February 2010, showed a decrease of more than 62 000 t compared to the January 2010 estimate. The 2010 crop was estimated to
amount to 1 243 449 t – a decrease of 6,5% and in effect 86 908 t less than the 2009 crop and 182 164 t less than the 2008 record crop.
- Pineapples are grown in the Eastern Cape and northern KwaZulu-Natal. Other subtropical crops such as avocados, mangoes, bananas, litchis, guavas, papayas, granadillas, and macadamia and pecan nuts are mainly produced in Mpumalanga and Limpopo and in the subtropical coastal areas of KwaZulu-Natal and the Eastern Cape.
Did you know?
South African organic farmers produce a large variety of produce. These include various cereals, vegetables, roots and tubers, herbs and spices, fruits, nuts and Rooibos tea.
The largest fruit crops in terms of hectares are bananas, avocados and mangoes, while the largest vegetable crops are cucurbits, tomatoes, asparagus, brassicas and potatoes. Organic wine and olive oil are also produced and organic dairy farming has
started in some provinces.
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Livestock
Nearly 80% of agricultural land in South Africa is mainly suitable for extensive livestock farming. Livestock are also kept in other areas, usually in combination with other farming enterprises. Numbers vary according to weather conditions. Stockbreeders concentrate mainly on developing breeds that are well adapted to diverse weather and environmental conditions.
The livestock sector contributes up to 49% of agricultural output. The livestock sector contributes up to 49% of agricultural output. South Africa generally produces 85% of
its meat requirements, while the remaining 15% is imported from Namibia, Botswana, Swaziland, Australia, New Zealand and Europe. The livestock industry is the largest national agricultural sector.
Commercial dairy farmers are estimated at 3 550 and they own approximately 980 000 dairy cows and employ about 38 000 workers. An additional 40 000 workers are employed in other segments of the value chain such as milk processing and the milling industry.
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Comprehensive Agriculture Support Programme (CASP)
A budget of R862,4 million for 2010/11, was allocated to CASP to address support for food production for subsistence and for the market. The Department of Agriculture,
Forestry and Fisheries is expected to embark on projects in food production, agroprocessing, infrastructure development (water, dams, irrigation systems and fencing), cooperatives and stokvels (social economy) as well as the green economy
(agro-ecology).
CASP outputs for the 2010/11 financial year included the establishment of 1 739 food-security projects; creation of 760 jobs; and training and improvement of knowledge and skills of 5 089 beneficiaries to ensure that 7 961 on- and off-farm infrastructure targets were completed and were functioning.
Did you know?
By mid-2010, the implementation of the Micro-Agricultural Financial Institutional Scheme of South Africa (Mafisa) was on course with eight accredited institutions operating as intermediaries retailing Mafisa loans.
In the 2009/10 financial year, R56 million was disbursed as production loans for, among other things, livestock, grains, vegetables, poultry and sugar-cane production activities.
Funded projects include cotton and groundnut farmers in the Taung irrigation scheme in North West; vegetable projects in Nwanedi, Limpopo; sugar-cane farmers in KwaZulu-Natal and livestock projects in the Northern Cape. Various job opportunities were created and to fast-track service delivery, a Mafisa call centre was established to assist with information dissemination.
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Climate change
The Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries is a major role player in climate-change activities within the agricultural sector. The department has several climate change related policies and programmes. These are in addition to the Disaster Management Act, 2002 [PDF] and the National Disaster Risk-Management Framework, 2005 [PDF], which address agricultural risk-management and climate change.
The department’s climate-change programmes and policies are aligned with South Africa’s National Climate-Change Response Policy. The Climate Change Sector Plan for Agriculture (Working Paper, April 2008) outlines measures of addressing agricultural
sector challenges, namely creating awareness of climate change and the effects of climate change; improving knowledge on climate change; increasing capacity to respond to climate-change impacts; research; and funding research projects.
Source: Pocket Guide to South Africa 2010/11
Editor: D Burger. Government Communication and Information
System
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Last modified: 29 June 2011 16:52:49.
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