Chapter 3
Crop production

The field crops occupy 92 percent of the total area, maize alone accounting for 51 percent.

Regional crop production

The assessments of the production of field crops in the different agricultural regions, described below, are approximate but more than 80 percent accurate. For example, both maize and wheat are grown in the dry sub-humid region of Kwazulu-Natal, but in the national context, the areas grown are small. The contributions of these "minor" regions, however, have been included in the total value of production and average national yields shown in Table 3.

Cereals and oilseeds

Crops in this category are grown under widely varying soil and rainfall conditions. In the summer rainfall regions of the Free State, North West, Mpumalanga and Kwazulu-Natal, rainfall varies from < 500 mm/year in the west to > 700 mm/year towards the east, in Mpumalanga and Kwazulu-Natal. With the exception of soybeans, which are grown mostly in the eastern, higher rainfall regions, the bulk of these crops are produced under arid to semi-arid conditions according to the UNCCD classification.

In the Western Cape region, which accounts for 33 percent of the total area under wheat production, wheat is produced under conditions of rainfall varying from less than 350 mm/year to more than 460 mm/year.

It is not surprising, therefore, that the average yields of rainfed cereals (2.4 to 2.7 tonnes/ha) and oilseeds (1.6 tonnes/ha) are much lower than in most parts of the world. However, with implementation of best cultivation practices and the use of the Global Positioning System (GPS) in conjunction with soil and foliar analysis, many progressive farmers are able to produce yields well in excess of the national average. It is common for these farmers to achieve yields of more than four tonnes/ha of maize in the Free State and North West provinces and five to six tonnes/ha in Mpumalanga where rainfall is higher. A group of maize farmers in northern Kwazulu-Natal have consistently produced yields in excess of eight tonnes/ha, with yields of eleven tonnes/ha on selected fields.

TABLE 3
Sown/planted areas, yields and value of production

Notes:

¹ Cane;
² Hay offered for sale;
³ Seed cotton;
⁴ Grapes, table and processed;
⁵ Excluding vegetables and potatoes.

The total value of production includes exports.

Source: Abstract of Agricultural Statistics, Department of Agriculture, 2004.

Sugar cane

Of the 432 000 ha under sugar cane, some 78 000 hectares (18 percent) are irrigated, mostly in Mpumalanga Lowveld but to a lesser extent also in northern Kwazulu-Natal (Pongola and Umfolozi Flats). Sugar cane accounts for 18 percent of fertilizer use, the second after maize and contributes some 10 percent to the total value of production.

Horticultural and fruit crops

Citrus and subtropical fruits, vines, deciduous fruits and most vegetables are grown under irrigation. A sizeable proportion of deciduous and citrus fruits is exported. Fertigation, either via drip or micro-jet, is common practice.

Irrigation

The official statistics produced by the Department of Agriculture do not differentiate between irrigated and rainfed areas. Estimates of the proportions of crops that are irrigated in some provinces are as follows:

Field crops

Mostly rainfed except:

• Maize: Free State 36 per cent, Mpumalanga 20 per cent, North West 28 per cent irrigated

• Wheat: Free State 35 per cent, Western Cape 33 per cent, Northern Cape 16 per cent

• Sunflower: Free State 51 per cent, North West 35 per cent

• Soybeans: Mpumalanga 55 per cent, Kwazulu-Natal 15 per cent, Free State 13 per cent

• Sugar cane: Kwazulu-Natal rainfed; Mpumalanga irrigated

• Lucerne: irrigated in most regions

Industrial crops

• Tobacco: Mostly irrigated in North West, Limpopo & Mpumalanga

• Cotton: Mostly irrigated in North West and Limpopo

Horticultural and fruit crops

• Citrus: Mostly irrigated in Mpumalanga, Western Cape, Eastern Cape and Limpopo

• Subtropical fruits & nuts: Mostly irrigated in Mpumalanga, Limpopo and Kwazulu-Natal

• Vines: Mostly irrigated in Western Cape and Northern Cape

• Deciduous fruits: Mostly irrigated in Western Cape

• Vegetables: Mostly irrigated in most regions

• Potatoes: Irrigated and rainfed in most regions

These estimates are reliable for some crops, for others they are part estimated. For example, citrus orchards are cultivated exclusively under irrigation. The same applies to sugar cane grown in the Lowveld region of Mpumalanga. Some areas of maize and wheat are irrigated but they are not significant in respect of the areas sown/planted, crop production or fertilizer use.

Producer organizations

Producer organizations in South Africa are well structured and in general they function efficiently.

Farmers organize study groups, usually not exceeding 25 members. They typically invite experts to address the group on topics related to technology and new developments. They conduct their own demonstrations to test new products or technology, as a first step towards their adoption or rejection.

Regional bodies provide the next tier, for which agri-political issues begin to play a more important role in day-to-day business. Their representatives lobby regional or provincial authorities on broader issues such as crime prevention and infrastructural issues.

The next tier comprises the national producer organizations. Grain South Africa (GSA) and the Cane Growers Association (through the South African Sugar Association) are two of the better-known bodies. Their senior executives lobby the national government at cabinet level on broad national issues affecting the industries they represent. Issues currently under discussion are education, the development of the skills of farm workers, black empowerment in agriculture, health care, crime prevention and tariffs.

In addition, there are numerous similar but smaller producer organizations.