Yesterday, August 27, we participated in the NATIONAL FARM WORKERS’ PLATFORM 2025 in Cape Town (virtually). We provided input on the State of the South African farming economy, with an emphasis on trade matters and job prospects.
In terms of employment, the sector remains a major employer, with 906,000 working in primary agriculture (well above the long-term average of 799k jobs), and over 200,000 in the value chain. The current trade friction, particularly in the US, is a concern, but we remain optimistic that the sector will show growth this year and maintain generally healthy employment levels.
In agricultural conditions, the field crops, mainly grains, oilseeds and sugarcane, all expect a fantastic recovery from last season’s drought. We also have an excellent harvest of fruits and vegetables. All these are supportive of work opportunities in the sector.
On the downside, the livestock industry continues to struggle with foot-and-mouth disease, as well as a few cases of avian influenza in poultry.
Still, the better field crop and horticulture production conditions should continue to support employment. At the same time, the negotiations for South Africa to secure better tariff levels in the US continue.
Some of the matters the farmworkers raised were around (1) the fears for their jobs, given the talks of trade friction (they realise the importance of trade to sustain the farming businesses), (2) agrochemicals and the need for more information about their safe applications, etc. This is something farmers and stakeholders are focusing on—the safe and optimal use of agrochemicals, which are key for our farm productivity. (3) There were also questions about the general technological innovation in the sector. (4) Some raised concerns about the “seasonal hunger/poverty” issues in rural South Africa.
Overall, it was an encouraging conversation and exchange after our formal speech. We emphasised that the sector still has a great deal to offer, and the roughly one million jobs highlighted in the National Development Plan as a possibility in agriculture could still materialise. The prerequisites include the release of approximately 2.5 million hectares of government land to appropriately selected beneficiaries with title deeds, as well as improvements in land governance in the former homelands, among other interventions. At the core, collaboration between government, organised labour, and business is key.
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