Less than 0,2 percent of the surface area of South Africa is covered with the forest. Today, state forest land covers a total area of 1,6 million ha, of which 8 percent is indigenous, 16 percent plantations (i.e. approximately 19 percent of all commercial afforestation), 74 percent mountain catchment areas and 2 percent drifstand.
The scarcity of natural timber and ever-increasing need to supply the country with wood and wood-based products have necessitated the development of a scientifically advanced and vibrant plantation forestry industry. As such, the South African forestry industry has become one of the country's fastest growing sectors of economic activity in recent years and today plantations cover 1382000 ha, equivalent to 1,2 percent of the country's overall land area.
The Department of Water Affairs and Forestry's new approach to its forestry extension policy emphasises the informal sector rather than the formal sector. Tree planting for energy and other wood needs is encouraged through the Rural Forestry Programme which focuses on rural communities. Simultaneously, the secondary benefits of tree planting are also stressed, such as shade, shelter, wind breaks, nectar and pollen for honey, and environmental conservation.
The Reconstruction and Development Programme (RDP) regards a vibrant and expanded agricultural sector as a critical component of a rural development and land reform programme. Agriculture contributes 5 percent of the gross domestic product (GDP) and over 10 percent of employment.
South Africa has a dual agricultural economy - a well-developed commercial sector and a predominantly subsistence-orientated sector in the rural areas. South Africa is not only self-sufficient in virtually all major agricultural products, but in a good year is also a net food exporter.
Of the total cultivated area of 10 million ha in South Africa, about 36 percent in under maize and 21 percent under small grains. After maize, wheat is South Africa's most important grain crop. South Africa is the world's tenth largest producer of sunflower seed.
In 1994, South Africa accounted for 3,3 percent (914 million gross litres) of the world's wine production from only 99817 ha of land that is under vines.
Livestock is farmed in most parts of South Africa. Stock breeders concentrate mainly on the development of breeds that are well adapted to diverse climatic conditions.
Dairy farming occurs throughout South Africa with the highest concentration of dairy farms in the eastern and northern Free State, the KwaZulu-Natal Midlands, the Eastern and Western Cape, the Gauteng metropolitan area and the southern parts of Mpumalanga.
Sheep-farming in concentrated mainly in the Northern and Eastern Cape, Free State and Mpumalanga.
The indigenous meat-producing Boer goat accounts for about 40 percent of all goats, and the Angora goat, used for mahair production, for the remaining 60 per cent. South Africa has about 3500 Angora farmers.
Compared with the mainly extensive cattle and sheep industries, the poultry and pig industries are more intensive and located on farms near metropolitan areas such as Gauteng, Durban, Pietermaritzburg, Cape Town (Cape Peninsula) and Port Elizabeth.
The RDP states that all support services provided by the Government including marketing, finance and access to co-operatives, must concentrate on small and resource-poor farmers, especially women. The two main forms of state assistance are disaster aid, and other financial assistance to individual farmers and other legal entities.
The Land and Agricultural Bank of South Africa, generally known as the Land Bank, is a statutory financing institution which advances credit on a commercial basis to farmers, co-operatives, agricultural control boards and statutory agricultural institutions.
The South African Agricultural Union is an independent producer-organisation consisting of provincial agricultural unions, commodity organisations and agricultural co-operatives. The main objective is to negotiate the best possible economic conditions for producers within the South African community.
Agribusiness is divided into two categories: non-cooperative business ventures and co-operatives. Non-co-operative ventures are involved in the production and distribution agricultural equipment and production requisites, and the marketing of agricultural products. Agricultural co-operatives are regarded as the farmers' own independent business organisations.
The RDP stresses that efficient, labour-intensive and sustainable
methods of farming must be researched and promoted. To this end,
extension workers should be trained and retrained, and the agricultural
education and research institutions restructured. There are a
number of specialised agricultural high schools or regular schools
offering a comprehensive range of agricultural subjects in South
Africa.
go back