Crime cost South Africa’s 46 000-odd commercial farmers about R1,2-billion in the financial year ending February 2002 — more than a quarter of their total losses, Statistics South Africa revealed on Thursday.
Stock theft accounted for about R484-million of farmers’ total R4,4-billion losses for the year, according to the latest census of commercial agriculture figures, released in Pretoria.
The pilfering and stealing of crops represented losses of R444-million, burglary R100-million and ”lifting and stealing” of tools another R205-million.
The census is the first to be conducted of the industry since 1993, when crime statistics were not included.
The census report shows the North West to be hardest hit by stock and crop theft, with losses in these two categories totalling about R438-million.
Free State farmers suffered most from tool theft (R47-million) and burglary (R17-million).
Statistician general Pali Lehohla said the release of the final 2002 census report means the end to a nine-year drought on agricultural statistics.
Selected data from the census was released last September.
It found that the number of commercial farming units in South Africa had decreased from about 58 000 to 45 818 between 1993 and 2002.
Paid employment in the sector dropped from 1 093 265 to 940 820 over the same period. The number of casual and seasonal employees rose from 445 360 to 459 445.
Employee remuneration at constant 2002 prices grew from R5,7-billion to R6,2-billion.
The market value of farming assets dropped from R139-billion to R98-billion, but income rose from about R39-billion to about R53-billion.
There was a slight decrease of about 3% in farming debt, and expenditure rose from about R34-billion to just more than R45-billion.
Stock and poultry feed was the highest expense at R8-billion, followed by maintenance and repairs (R4-billion), fertilisers (R3,7-billion) and fuel (R3,2-billion).
The census also revealed a drop in the agriculture sector’s contribution to gross domestic product from 4,2% to 3,4% — attributable, Statistics South Africa said, to stronger growth in other economic sectors.
Statistics South Africa deputy director general Ros Hirschowitz said the statistics show that ”the agricultural sector is alive and well and making an important contribution to the economy of the country — also in terms of job creation”.
The survey found more male (58,8%) than female paid employees, and more full-time (66,4%) paid male employees than female ones.
There were, however, more female (53,6%) than male casual and seasonally paid workers.
Commercial banks were the largest source of credit finance to the commercial farming sector (R12,2-billion), followed by cooperatives (R6,2-billion) and the Land Bank (R5,4-billion).
The census covered only value-added-tax-registered farms, excluding forestry, ocean fishing and agricultural services enterprises.
Farming in animals and animal products was the highest earner at R21-billion, followed by field crops at R17-billion and horticultural products at R14-billion.
Acting Assistant Director General of Agriculture Rodney Dredge said more research is needed.
Because the census paid little heed to the bottom end of the agriculture market, it failed to pick up the beneficiaries of land reform.
”We haven’t got a handle on how many farmers have come in or the effectiveness of the land-reform programme.”
There should also be further studies into employment trends in the sector, particularly into reasons for the increase in casual labour at the cost of permanent employment.
The Department of Agriculture paid for the census to the tune of R19-million.
The next such survey, Dredge said, will be done before 2007 and include entry-level farmers. It will be repeated every three years. — Sapa