Draft Status Quo Report for the Pixley Ka Seme ... - SRK Consulting

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SRK Consulting in association with BKS Pixley Ka Seme Local Municipality EMF – Draft Status Quo Report Page 35 PKSLM SDF, the main types of agriculture are dry land cultivation and some animal farming (PKSLM, 2009b). Subsistence farming The majority of the land in the area is classified as unimproved grassland, which is suitable for the stock grazing industry for subsistence farmers. A large proportion of rural households depend on subsistence farming, which is a vital source of food for these communities. Subsistence farming is primarily dependent on beef production on unfenced communal land. Challenges faced include overgrazing, inadequate breeding practices disease management and stock theft. There is some subsistence farming of vegetables and other intensive crops on a small scale. Agricultural infrastructure Infrastructure to support the agricultural sector is welldeveloped with an extensive network of roads linking farms to towns and major markets. However, damage caused to roads by coal trucks is an ongoing problem. A good rail network is in place, but due to high costs use of this system to transport produce is limited. Silos owned by AFGRI (Pty) Ltd, a leading supplier of agricultural services, as well as smaller silos owned by farmers provide abundant storage capacity for grains. Storage and packaging facilities for seeds, fertilizers, chemicals and other products are also available. Internet coverage is important for ensuring business development for the farming community. Although there is good cellphone coverage, lack of broadband connectivity is a limitation. Commercial farming PKSLM lends itself to commercial mixed farming with crop production occurring on higher potential soils, supplemented by beef and sheep farming. Irrigation of crops, fodder production and limited horticulture of apples, chickens and egg production contribute to the mix of farming activities. The commercial agricultural sector is well-organised in PKSLM, with structures and organisations in place to represent the interests of the farming community. There are also sufficient banking institutions and input suppliers in the area. However, coordination between the commercial agricultural sector and the municipal forums and committees remains a challenge. Organisation of the emerging farmers requires improvement, with inadequate representation on organisations serving their interests. The land reform process, crime levels, and global competitiveness are major challenges facing the agricultural community of PKSLM. Agricultural production The major crops produced in PKSLM are white and yellow maize, grain sorghum sunflower, dry beans and soya beans. Table 3-8 shows the average crop yield per ha for the region. Grain production plays an important role in the local economy. The value of grains delivered to Platrand (one of several silos in the district) during the 2009 season totalled approximately R145 million. Wool production in PKSLM is also a relatively large contributor to the local economy, both in terms of production and sales (see Table 3-9). Table 3-8: Average yield for each crop over the last five years KILI/BEAT G:\404946_PIXLEY EMF\7REPORTS\Status Quo report\Draft report\Draft status quo report, July 2010.docx July 2010 Crop Tons per hectare White maize 3-3.8 Yellow maize 3-3.5 Grain sorghum 3-3.2 Sunflower 0.8-1.2 Soya beans 1-1.3 Table 3-9: Grease mass and sales values in PKSLM Crop Grease mass (kg) Sales value (R) Amersfoort 114,221 4,136,454 Volksrust 156,510 6,493,826 Wakkerstroom 298,740 13,785,480 Total Pixley 569,471 24,415,760 Total Mpumalanga 2,082,058 80,110,289 Source: Cape Wools Dry land crop production is relatively high risk contributed to by market volatility. Irrigation, and crop diversification and alternative activities such as tourism assist with management of the risk. Animal farming is a key stabilizing sector and although margins are lower, significantly reduces the risk compared to crop farming.
SRK Consulting in association with BKS Pixley Ka Seme Local Municipality EMF – Draft Status Quo Report Page 36 Agriculture generates downstream and upstream employment, including through processing and transport of produce. PKSLM is located near South Africa’s major markets with Gauteng the largest market, being less than 300 km away. Maize is the most traded product, with prices being fixed by SAFEX. AFGRI is one of the largest buyers although many farmers use a portion of their crop for animal feed. Agricultural potential Land capability throughout the study area is relatively high. This is contributed to by quite high average rainfall (710 mm) which increases from the west to eastern pasts of PKSLM. The moderate slope class for most of the region is conducive to agriculture, although in the east and southeast the steep topography results in extreme cold and frost during winter. The three WMAs provide opportunity for irrigation, and numerous farms in PKSLM produce crops under pivot irrigation. The wetlands (see Sections 3.2.7 and 3.2.7 and 3.6) contribute to agriculture including through provision of drinking water and supporting sustainable livelihoods. Wetlands also perform functions such as reducing and preventing erosion through control of stormwater and flooding. Much of the district has high potential soils (see Map 7). To the east and north-east of PKSLM soil is mainly sandy or loam-sand, but clay content increases in the west and north-west to form loam and clay soils. To the north and north-west the soils are of the most optimal depth for cultivation. Shallow soils and steep topography in the remainder of the study area impact on the arability of the soils. Lower quality soils are associated with grazing and grasslands while optimal soils are often put under dry land crop production. Land reform and land claims Land reform is still taking place at a slow rate in the GSDM. Commercial farmers claim that land reform projects are a failure because they do not operate at the same productivity levels as before transfer. The success of these projects has not been evaluated for this study. The PKSLM has eleven land claims, five of which have been dismissed, three of which are dormant, two are still under research, and one has been gazetted (see Map 26). 3.4.3 Mining Mining is an important sector in Mpumalanga, providing jobs and contributing to over one fifth of Mpumalanga’s GGP (Mpumalanga Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Environmental Affairs, 2003). Mining employs approximately 12,000 people in the GSDM, although there are relatively low numbers in PKSLM itself (see Section 3.6). Mpumalanga together with KZN and the North West Province contributed almost 85% of South Africa’s total processed mineral sales revenue in 2007. These three Provinces also dominated the export sales revenue in 2007 (South Africa’s Mineral Industry, 2008). Mines in operation are scattered around the PKSLM and include sand, dolerite and coal mining. PKSLM is underlain by coal, although coal mining is very limited in extent. Small-scale open cast coal mining is being undertaken to the east of Wakkerstroom and there is a coal mine adjoining the Majuba power station south west of Amersfoort. Coal mining Due to its large coal deposits, Mpumalanga accommodates most of the power stations in South Africa. Eight of the eleven operational coal-fired power stations in South Africa are situated in Mpumalanga and contribute roughly 70% of the total electricity generated in South Africa (Mpumalanga Department of Agriculture and Land Administration (MDALA), 2003). Emissions from coal-fired power stations are a serious concern for Mpumalanga as they cause impaired air quality. The total sales value of all minerals mined in Mpumalanga in 1996 amounted to R13.4 billion, of which coal represented 85% (Mpumalanga Investment Initiative, 2003). In 2008 the Department of Mineral Resources granted mining exploration rights to DMC Coal Mining (DMC), the largest holder of torbanite mineral rights in South Africa, to prospect in the PKSLM area, about 25 km east of Wakkerstroom, where a portion of the prospecting area was being used for maize cultivation. Local farmers as well as local and international wildlife organisations challenged the prospecting permits. In April 2010, DMC withdrew its mining prospecting plans in response to this pressure from the local KILI/BEAT G:\404946_PIXLEY EMF\7REPORTS\Status Quo report\Draft report\Draft status quo report, July 2010.docx July 2010
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