AGRICULTURAL SECTOR
WANDILE SIHLOBO: Why SA’s major employer, agriculture, is poised for a better year
Agriculture, a key contributor to SA’s economy, shows growth in labour participation, but the armyworm outbreak poses a significant risk, writes Wandile Sihlobo
Agriculture plays a crucial role in the broader economy, constituting about 6% of SA’s total labour force. This is double that of the noisiest industry, mining, and almost at par with the transport industry. The recent Quarterly Labour Force Survey from Statistics SA revealed that employment in the agricultural sector grew 4%, or 38,000 jobs, in the fourth quarter of 2016, from the previous quarter, putting the sector’s total labour force at 919,000. The areas that showed significant jobs growth were livestock (mainly driven by increased red meat slaughter), horticulture, crop farming, game farming and ocean and coastal fishing. Livestock, horticulture and crop farming are the largest contributors to agriculture’s total labour force, employing 64%. Collectively, livestock, horticulture and crop farming saw a 12% quarterly growth in labour participation. In addition to increased red meat slaughter, there was increased harvest activity and increased activity in summer crop areas. This...
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