Total employment in agriculture has now increased to 956 000, Farmer’s Weekly reported.
According to Agriculture Minister Thoko Didiza, the statistics show that this is the highest employment figure in the sector since the start of democracy in 1994.
“The last time the agricultural sector recorded a million jobs was in 1993, the era which was underpinned by subsidies.”
The latest figures suggest that the economy is gradually recovering and starting to create jobs, Didiza said.
“The agricultural sector has demonstrated its resilience and capability to support the overall South Africa’s economic recovery and growth, both in terms of jobs creation and contribution to the economy,” she said.
“The resuscitation of agriculture in rural areas and continued expansion of export opportunities are among the enablers that have brought growth and stability in the sector.”
Paul Makube, a senior agricultural economist at FNB Commercial, said the LFS data confirmed the resilience of agriculture, making significant improvement in employment in the sector.
“An uptick in employment numbers is a step in the right direction in helping fight the scourge of unemployment in the country.
“Agriculture has the potential to add more jobs, and this may be realised if impediments to growth are addressed by expediting the improvement of efficiencies in ports, fixing the rail system to ensure bulk agriculture produce gets back on rail, and repairing road infrastructure that has proven costly for producers.
“Moreover, the seasonal outlook has improved significantly as the El Niño scare seems to have dissipated with forecasts still calling for rains in the early part of the current crop season which bodes well for agriculture,” Makube said.
