Editing Economy of South Africa (section)

===Agriculture and food processing===
{{Main|Agriculture in South Africa}}
[[Image:Farm in Mpumalanga.jpg|thumb|Workers planting on a farm in the central area of Mpumalanga]]
[[Image:SouthAfricaFieldwork21989.jpg|thumb|Farm workers]]
In 2018, South Africa produced 19.3 million tonnes of [[sugarcane]] (14th largest producer in the world), 12.5 million tonnes of [[maize]] (12th largest producer in the world) 1.9 million tons of [[grape]] (11th largest producer in the world), 1.7 million tons of [[Orange (fruit)|orange]] (11th largest producer in the world) and 397 thousand tons of [[pear]] (7th largest producer in the world).

In addition, in the same year, it produced 2.4 million tons of [[potato]], 1.8 million tons of [[wheat]], 1.5 million tons of [[soy]], 862 thousand tons of [[sunflower seed]], 829 thousand tons of [[apple]], 726 thousand tons of [[onion]], 537 thousand tons of [[tomato]], 474 thousand tons of [[lemon]], 445 thousand tons of [[grapefruit]], 444 thousand tons of [[banana]], 421 thousand tons of [[barley]], in addition to smaller productions of other agricultural products, such as [[avocado]], [[pineapple]], [[peach]], [[tangerine]], [[pumpkin]], [[cabbage]], [[carrot]], [[rapeseed]], [[sorghum]] etc.<ref>{{cite web| url = http://www.fao.org/faostat/en/#data/QC/| title = South Africa production in 2018, by FAO}}</ref>

The agricultural industry contributes around 5% of formal employment, relatively low compared to other parts of Africa, as well as providing work for casual labourers and contributing around 2.8% of GDP for the nation.<ref name="CIA World Fact Book - South Africa">{{cite web|url=https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/south-africa/ |title=The World Factbook- South Africa |publisher=Central Intelligence Agency |access-date=16 May 2018}}</ref><ref name="HRW">Human Rights Watch, 2001. [https://www.hrw.org/reports/2001/safrica2/ Unequal Protection]: The State Response to Violent Crime on South African Farms, {{ISBN|1-56432-263-7}}.</ref> However, due to the [[arid]]ity of the land, only 13.5% can be used for crop production, and only 3% is considered high potential land.<ref>Mohamed, Najma. 2000. "Greening Land and Agrarian Reform: A Case for Sustainable Agriculture", in ''At the Crossroads: Land and Agrarian Reform in [[South Africa]] into the 21st century'', ed. Cousins, Ben. Bellville, School of Government, University of the Western Cape. {{ISBN|1-86808-467-1}}.</ref>

The sector continues to face problems, with increased foreign competition and crime being two of the major challenges for the industry. The government has been accused of either putting in too much effort,<ref>{{cite book |author=Bronwen Manby |title=Unequal Protection – The State Response to Violent Crime on South African Farms |publisher=[[Human Rights Watch]] |date=August 2001 |url=https://www.hrw.org/reports/2001/safrica2/ |access-date=28 October 2006 |isbn=978-1-56432-263-0}}</ref> or not enough effort,<ref name="Times">[https://web.archive.org/web/20070210173426/http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/article694534.ece Farms of Fear], The Sunday Times Magazine.</ref> to tackle the problem of [[South African farm attacks|farm attacks]] as opposed to other forms of violent crime.

Maize production, which contributes to a 36% majority of the gross value of South Africa's field crops, has also experienced negative effects due to climate change.<ref>{{Cite web |title=AGRICULTURE, FORESTRY AND FISHERIES |url=https://www.gcis.gov.za/sites/default/files/docs/resourcecentre/pocketguide/013_agriculture.pdf |access-date=2024-07-19}}</ref> The estimated value of loss, which takes into consideration scenarios with and without the carbon dioxide fertilization effect,<ref>[http://www.fao.org/docrep/w5183e/w5183e06.htm The CO2 fertilization effect: higher carbohydrate production and retention as biomass and seed yield]. Retrieved 11 January 2010.</ref> ranges between tens and hundreds of millions of Rands.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://climsec.prio.no/papers/Economic%20Impacts%20of%20Climate%20Change%20on%20Agriculture%20and%20Implications%20for%20Food%20Security%20in%20Southern%20Africa.pdf |title=Economic Impacts of Climate Changeon Agriculture and Implications for Food Security in Southern Africa |access-date=2015-04-19 |archive-date=13 August 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110813034555/http://climsec.prio.no/papers/Economic%20Impacts%20of%20Climate%20Change%20on%20Agriculture%20and%20Implications%20for%20Food%20Security%20in%20Southern%20Africa.pdf}}</ref>

According to [[FAOSTAT]], South Africa is one of world's largest producers of: [[chicory root]]s (4th); [[grapefruit]] (4th); [[cereals]] (5th); [[green maize]] and maize (7th); [[castor oil seed]] (9th); pears (9th); [[sisal]] (10th); [[fibre crop]]s (10th).<ref name="FAOSTAT Production statistics 2008">{{cite web |url=http://faostat.fao.org/site/339/default.aspx |title=FAOSTAT 2008 by Production |publisher=faostat.fao.org |access-date=6 June 2008 |archive-date=13 July 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110713020710/http://faostat.fao.org/site/339/default.aspx |url-status=dead}}</ref> In the first quarter of 2010, the agricultural sector earned export revenues for R10.1 billion and used R8.4 billion to pay for imported agricultural products, therefore earning a positive trade balance of R1.7 billion.<ref name="daff2011">{{cite web|title=Competitiveness of selected South African agricultural products in the European union market |url=http://www.nda.agric.za/docs/Economic_analysis/2011_ER.pdf |publisher=Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131211112102/http://www.nda.agric.za/docs/Economic_analysis/2011_ER.pdf |archive-date=11 December 2013 |page=4}}</ref>

The most important agricultural exports of South Africa include: edible fruit and nuts, beverages, preserved food, tobacco, [[cereals]], [[wool]] not carded or combed, miscellaneous food, sugar, meat, milling products, malt and starch.<ref name="daff2011"/> These products accounted for over 80% of agricultural export revenue in the first quarter of 2010.<ref name="daff2011"/> The most important agricultural imports, which accounted for over 60% of agricultural import value during the same period, include: cereals, meat, soya-bean oil cake, beverages, soya-bean oil and its fractions, tobacco, palm oil and its fractions, miscellaneous food, spices, coffee, tea, and preserved food.<ref name="daff2011"/>

The dairy industry consists of around 4,300 milk producers providing employment for 60,000 farm workers and contributing to the livelihoods of around 40,000 others.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.southafrica.co.za/agriculture_29.html|work=South Africa Online|title=Agriculture|access-date=17 July 2006|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060923070755/http://www.southafrica.co.za/agriculture_29.html|archive-date=23 September 2006}}</ref>

The food sub-sector is the largest employer within the agro-processing sector – contributing 1.4% to total employment, and 11.5% within the manufacturing sector.<ref name="agropro5"/> In 2006, the agro-processing sector represented 24.7% of the total manufacturing output.<ref name="agropro5"/> Although the economy as a whole gained 975,941 jobs between 1995 and 2006, the agro-processing sector lost 45,977 jobs.<ref name="agropro5"/> The competitive pressures from abroad, particularly from China and India, played a role in the decline of exports for the food, textiles and paper sub-sectors, as firms in these sectors increasingly compete with lower cost producers.<ref name="agropro5"/> Increased exports from the beverages, tobacco, wood and leather sub-sectors over the period are probably due to the presence of large dominant firms within these sectors in South Africa, that have managed to remain competitive.<ref name=agropro5>{{cite web|title=Asgisa And Economic Growth: Implications For Skills Development |url=http://www.labour.gov.za/downloads/documents/research-documents/asgisa_economicgrowth.pdf |publisher=Department of Labour, South Africa |page=5 |date=March 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140713055141/http://www.labour.gov.za/downloads/documents/research-documents/asgisa_economicgrowth.pdf |archive-date=13 July 2014}}</ref>