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With land expropriation without compensation making the headlines in South Africa in recent years, we cover the latest results from the newest Census of commercial agriculture (COCA) for the 2017 financial year, as published by Statistics South Africa, today 24 March 2020
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Overview of the 2017 South African Census of commercial agriculture results
First up lets take a look at the aim of the COCA as well as the scope and the reference period it relates to before we dive into the results of COCA 2017
Aim and collection unit
This publication presents estimates in respect of the Census of Commercial Agriculture (CoCA), 2017. The survey aims to provide financial, production, employment and related information for the commercial agriculture industry in South Africa. The last CoCA was conducted in 2007 (Reports No. 11-02-01 (2007)). It is important to note that in 2007 the collection unit was a farming enterprise. The collection unit for CoCA 2017 is a farming unit, where a farming unit consists of one or more farms, holdings or pieces of land, whether adjacent or not, operated as a single unit and situated within the same local municipality. In this report, the word farm means farming unit.
Scope and coverage
CoCA 2017 covers enterprises registered for value added tax (VAT) and which are mainly or primarily engaged in the following activities classified according to the January 1993 edition of the Standard Industrial Classification of all Economic Activities (SIC), Fifth edition.
Data items
The following categories of data items were collected: general information, land use, field crops, horticultural crops, animals, employment, income, expenditure and details of purchases.
Reference period
The questionnaires were completed for the financial year ended on any date between 1 March 2017 and 28 February 2018, according to the usual reporting schedule of the enterprise, with the following exceptions:
Animals on farms as at 30 September 2018, and
Employment as at 30 June 2018.
Figure 1 below shows the number of farms, income and employment in the commercial agriculture industry by farm size, as a percentage of total in 2017
Aim and collection unit
This publication presents estimates in respect of the Census of Commercial Agriculture (CoCA), 2017. The survey aims to provide financial, production, employment and related information for the commercial agriculture industry in South Africa. The last CoCA was conducted in 2007 (Reports No. 11-02-01 (2007)). It is important to note that in 2007 the collection unit was a farming enterprise. The collection unit for CoCA 2017 is a farming unit, where a farming unit consists of one or more farms, holdings or pieces of land, whether adjacent or not, operated as a single unit and situated within the same local municipality. In this report, the word farm means farming unit.
Scope and coverage
CoCA 2017 covers enterprises registered for value added tax (VAT) and which are mainly or primarily engaged in the following activities classified according to the January 1993 edition of the Standard Industrial Classification of all Economic Activities (SIC), Fifth edition.
- Growing of crops, market gardening and horticulture (SIC 111),
- Farming of animals (SIC 112),
- A combination of the above (mixed farming) (SIC 113),
- Agricultural and animal husbandry services, except veterinary activities (SIC 114), and
- Game propagation, including related services (SIC 1151).
Data items
The following categories of data items were collected: general information, land use, field crops, horticultural crops, animals, employment, income, expenditure and details of purchases.
Reference period
The questionnaires were completed for the financial year ended on any date between 1 March 2017 and 28 February 2018, according to the usual reporting schedule of the enterprise, with the following exceptions:
Animals on farms as at 30 September 2018, and
Employment as at 30 June 2018.
Figure 1 below shows the number of farms, income and employment in the commercial agriculture industry by farm size, as a percentage of total in 2017
In 2017, 2 610 large farms (those with annual income of more than R22,5 million) constituted 6,5% of the total number of farms in the commercial agriculture industry, and accounted for 67,0% of total income and 51,4% of total employment. This was in contrast to the 18 710 micro farms (annual income below R1 million) which made up almost half of the total number of farms, but which accounted for just 1,9% of total income and 6,0% of total employment. Taken together, there were 15 180 large, medium and small farms in 2017, with combined shares of 37,8% of the number of farms, 95,2% of income, and 88,9% of employment. Measured by farm size, small farming units were the second largest in terms of number of farms, income and employment in 2017
Number of farms, income earned and employment per farm type
Figure 2 below shows the number of farms, income and employment in the commercial agriculture industry by type of activity (farm type)
Farming of animals had the largest share of the number of farms in 2017 (33,9%) as well as the highest share of income (36,2%). Second largest was mixed farming (31,1% of number of farms and 28,6% of income). But employment was dominated by horticulture with a share of 35,5%, which was three times its share of number of farms (11,6%).
Growing of cereals and other crops accounted for 21.3% of the number of farms, but only for 13.5% of the income earned. So clearly this is a lower margin activity than Horticulture for example that accounted for 11.6% of the farms but 35.5% of the income earned. Farming of animals accounted for 33.95 of all commercial farms but only for 21.4% of employment on commercial farms. So this type of farming is less labour intensive than some of the other farming types.
Growing of cereals and other crops accounted for 21.3% of the number of farms, but only for 13.5% of the income earned. So clearly this is a lower margin activity than Horticulture for example that accounted for 11.6% of the farms but 35.5% of the income earned. Farming of animals accounted for 33.95 of all commercial farms but only for 21.4% of employment on commercial farms. So this type of farming is less labour intensive than some of the other farming types.
Number of farms, income earned and employment per province
Figure 3 below shows the number of farms, income earned from commercial agriculture and the employment in agriculture per province. While the Western Cape has the second highest number of farms (17.3% of all farms in South Africa) it contributes 24.7% to total employment in the commercial agriculture industry.
Free State recorded the largest number of farms in 2017 (19,8% of the national total), but Western Cape earned the most income (19,3% of total income) and employed the most workers (24,7% of total employment). The smallest province in terms of number of farms and employment was Gauteng (5,7% of farms and 4,8% of employment).