South Africa
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| AGRICULTURE |
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The creation of the Agricultural Search Centre in 1993, is at the origin of the recent development of the farm-produce sector in South Africa. Since, the country has been divided into nine provinces and each of them has its own agricultural development office. In spite of numerous natural resources, the development of the South African agriculture is slowed down by difficulties such as the desertification, the erosion of grounds or the inflation.
Agricultural population (in thousands)
Total population
45 214
Agricultural population
5 621
Non agricultural population
39 594
Source : 2004, FAOSTAT
Land use
Cultivated surface area
99 640 000
Irrigated surface area
1 498 000
Number of farms
n.c.
Number of tractors
65 475
Source : 2003, FAOSTAT
Production indicators
Main crops
| Product | Production (in thousands) | Harvested surface (1000 ha) | Yield by hectare (kg/ha) |
| Sugar cane | 21265 | 428 | 49685 |
| Maize | 11749 | 3222 | 3646 |
| Potatoes | 1878 | 53 | 35434 |
| Wheat | 1804 | 800 | 2254 |
| Grapes | 1683 | 123 | 13660 |
Source : 2005, FAOSTAT
Livestock
| Specie | Headcount (in thousands) |
| Sheep | 25316 |
| Cattle | 13764 |
| Goats | 6407 |
| Pigs | 1648 |
Source : 2005, FAOSTAT
Fishing (in metric tons)
| Shellfish, mollusks and cephalopods | Saltwater fish | Freshwater fish |
| 16 746 | 801 777 | 1 275 |
Source : 2005, FAOSTAT