WANDILE SIHLOBO: 2020 has been fairly good for crops but Covid-19 has been a huge problem
Had there not been a pandemic, agricultural employment would have increased notably in 2020 due to a large harvest
SA’s agriculture economic data has been encouraging in 2020. Whether one looks at output volumes, export performance or tractor and combine harvester sales, the picture has been positive. But the jobs data for the third quarter does not paint a uniformly positive picture. The agricultural labour market performance seemingly depends on what region of the country one looks at and the specific type of agriculture that is concentrated in those areas.
For those in field crops and general horticulture, the year has been fairly good, but that is not to suggest that there haven’t been challenges brought by the pandemic. But for the wine industry (and to a certain extent livestock, which is struggling with higher feed prices; but that is a discussion for another day), the good harvest that came in just before lockdown has been overshadowed, primarily because of the ban on sales during various periods of the lockdown...
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