SEC | S20W4: "ROLE OF AGRICULTURE IN THE ECONOMY

Whether you're a policymaker, farmer, or other sector stakeholder, as mentioned in the main post, understanding the multifaceted role of agriculture helps us to appreciate the importance it plays in shaping the future of any country. This is what I think, the grandchild of a farmer and also a consumer.

Believe it or not, agriculture directly only contributes to 2-3% of South Africa’s total GDP.
However, this may seem like a small portion to you, but in the whole, it is a vital contribution to the economy of South Africa.

A. The social and industrial roles of agriculture in South Africa, sighting one of the main grown crops, maize

Although South Africa is the top producer of gold, the heart of the country is in the gold that covers the agricultural fields of our vast piece of land: maize, wheat, and I have to mention the gold of sunflowers and citrus fruits.

In South Africa, just like with so many other countries, agriculture encompasses more than just food production.

• It is where hard work takes place, where sweat so often turns into tears.
• It is where the countryside functions by providing jobs.
• It is where food is provided on tables at night.
• It is where social cohesion and cultural preservation happen.
• It is where support for family-owned farms and local cooperatives happens.
• It is where people like women and the youth are educated and trained in skills through training.

Here, in South Africa, maize is one of the main crops. It is the primary food for a large portion of South Africa's population. In fact, you will find it in the pantry of many households. It is used to make what we call “mieliemeel” (maize meal), which is the main ingredient of “pap,” a kind of porridge with the difference that it fills millions of tummies not only in the morning but right through the day.

Not only is maize a common household item for South Africans but it is also being utilized in a variety of businesses, including the production of biofuels and animal feed.
Maize plays an important role in our economy, food security, and cultural identity. Maize is what brings us together as a nation.

B. Maize helps reduce poverty and promote rural development in South Africa.

Without maize, South Africa would not have been considered among the richest countries in Africa.

There are so many factors in which maize plays an important role in reducing poverty and promoting rural development.
Today I would like to share my top three reasons.

1. Employment and job creation
From planting to harvesting, processing, and distribution, maize production is labor-intensive; therefore, maize farming provides employment opportunities for millions of South Africans. Most of these job creations happen in rural areas where poverty is high as jobs are scarce.

2. Opportunities for smaller farmers
Many small-scale farmers plant maize as their primary source of income. Often it is the only form of generating revenue that supports their families. Often these farmers also start with maize, and soon their profits allow them to invest in different forms of farming.

3. Community Stability
I have seen with my grandpa how the community gets together to socialize, to celebrate, and also how they stood by each other in difficult times. Maize farming in my beloved country brings families and communities together, uplifting them and creating a sense of belonging and pride.

Maize for sure contributes to better living circumstances and the local economy by providing jobs, opportunities, a sense of belonging, pride, and, not to forget food security for its people.

C. The main challenges South Africa is facing with the top crops like maize, wheat, and citrus in terms of economic impact

Agricultural land represents nearly 80% of the total land area of South Africa. It is therefore clear that when it comes to raising premium crops like maize, wheat, sugarcane, citrus, and more in South Africa, there are several significant challenges that farmers have to face.

1. Climate Change:
On the one side of the country, farmers will sit with droughts and water scarcity, and on the other side, we will have farmers sitting with too much rain and flooding. Weather has a huge impact on agricultural development, and these days the weather is totally unpredictable. Crops like maize and wheat suffer from low levels of rainfall, and the quality of sugarcane and citrus is influenced by too much rain.

2. Land misuse:
The soil has become less fertile due to years of careless farming in the same area. Issues like overgrazing, deforestation, and poor land management practices can only lead to one thing: the loss of productive agricultural land. In South Africa, particularly in the areas with low rainfall like the Karoo and parts of the Northern Cape, land misuse is a big problem.

3. Poor Infrastructure:
Lack of poor infrastructure like storage facilities or poorly maintained facilities makes it extremely difficult for farmers to transport their produce to markets and harbors. This results in significant waste and lost revenue. A couple of months ago we had huge problems in our Durban harbor, which is also our main harbor. They had a backlog of two months for loading shipments. A bunch of grapes must be on the shelves within five weeks of harvesting. Grape and citrus farmers experienced huge losses with this backlog.

When farmers suffer, it can have an adverse effect on exports and the local food supply, not to mention the economy.

D. Government programs that help boost agriculture in South Africa

I don’t know if I must say that South African farmers are lucky or unlucky.
Lucky in the sense that the government has launched a number of initiatives to assist farmers in raising their crops. Unlucky, as so often they knock on these doors, and they don’t open. This is due to mismanagement or corruption.

These are the programs we currently have in place:

1. The Comprehensive Agricultural Support Programme (CASP): Provides financial and technical assistance to small farmers, enabling them to

2. LRAD (Land Redistribution for Agricultural Development): This program aims to address the nation's historical land inequity by assisting individuals in purchasing land and beginning farming.

3. Agri-Parks: These are central locations where farmers may process their produce and gain market access, facilitating the sale of their products and the expansion of their enterprises.

Fetsa Tlala: This initiative helps communal farmers cultivate vital crops like maize to feed the nation, with an emphasis on food security.

E. What can be done to improve agricultural productivity in South Africa?

➤ Climate-Smart farming: Farmers will have to adapt to harsh weather by using things like seeds resistant to drought, better irrigation systems, and farming techniques that take climate change into account. I know it all sounds easy on "paper,” but unfortunately these days it is all about “adopt or die.”

➤ Invest in the best: Farmers will have to individually or as a community start investing in items like new machinery, joined storage, improving infrastructure, and helping small-scale farmers. By doing this, it can only generate better income and also better living conditions.

➤ Modern technology: We are already seeing the results in modern farming where farmers are making use of modern technology like drones. Having technology and things like the internet and Zoom can contribute to farmers connecting with other farmers across the world.

➤ Training and education: Farmers can increase their harvests and expand their enterprises by receiving continual training in contemporary farming methods, soil management, pest control, climate change, and so much more. Of importance is also playing what they have learned forward by educating small-scale and new farmers.

"Feeding the Future, Sustaining the Land."

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