Jobs in SA agriculture
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In this week’s segment, agricultural economist Wandile Sihlobo reflects on South Africa’s agricultural jobs data for the third quarter of 2022.
Although South Africa's agricultural sector faced numerous challenges in the 2021/22 production season – from tough production conditions in grains and oilseeds, disease outbreaks in livestock, and trade barriers in horticulture – the sector sustained jobs. In the third quarter of this year, there were 873 000 people in primary agriculture. This is up by 5% year-on-year (while down marginally by 0,1% quarterly).
Notably, this is well above the long-term agricultural employment of 780 000. As with the previous quarter, the increased farm activity in some vegetables, fruits and field crops sustained robust employment.
Still, the picture is not all rosy. The livestock, animal husbandry, forestry, and related services subsectors shaved jobs during this period under review. The decline in employment in livestock was expected as the subsector faces the spread of foot-and-mouth disease, which has led to a temporary suspension of exports and a reduction in activity in numerous businesses, thus weighing on farmers' finances.
Furthermore, the higher feed cost is an additional challenge for the livestock industry. This decline in agricultural jobs was mainly in the North West and Mpumalanga. Still, the reduction in the business activity in the subsectors mentioned above was compensated by the increasing work opportunities in horticulture and field crops. Thus, other provinces registered positive growth from the third quarter of 2021.
Credit:
Production by Lwandiso Gwarubana, Richard Humphries, and Sam Mkokeli
Although South Africa's agricultural sector faced numerous challenges in the 2021/22 production season – from tough production conditions in grains and oilseeds, disease outbreaks in livestock, and trade barriers in horticulture – the sector sustained jobs. In the third quarter of this year, there were 873 000 people in primary agriculture. This is up by 5% year-on-year (while down marginally by 0,1% quarterly).
Notably, this is well above the long-term agricultural employment of 780 000. As with the previous quarter, the increased farm activity in some vegetables, fruits and field crops sustained robust employment.
Still, the picture is not all rosy. The livestock, animal husbandry, forestry, and related services subsectors shaved jobs during this period under review. The decline in employment in livestock was expected as the subsector faces the spread of foot-and-mouth disease, which has led to a temporary suspension of exports and a reduction in activity in numerous businesses, thus weighing on farmers' finances.
Furthermore, the higher feed cost is an additional challenge for the livestock industry. This decline in agricultural jobs was mainly in the North West and Mpumalanga. Still, the reduction in the business activity in the subsectors mentioned above was compensated by the increasing work opportunities in horticulture and field crops. Thus, other provinces registered positive growth from the third quarter of 2021.
Credit:
Production by Lwandiso Gwarubana, Richard Humphries, and Sam Mkokeli
