Mpumalanga Business 2017-18 edition

OVERVIEW
Agriculture and agri-processing
Agri-parks and an International Fresh Produce Market – helping farmers get to market.
SECTOR INSIGHT
The Land Bank aims to loan
R1-billion to black investors
in agriculture.
• Farmer Production
Support Units are up and
running in two districts.
• Agriculture students will
study in Belarussia.
Mpumalanga is one of South Africa’s most productive and
important agricultural regions and contributes significantly
to the nation’s export basket, with a strong suite
in fruit and nuts.
Big companies cultivate maize, sugar, timber, vegetables,
fruit and tea on a large scale and are active in the raising of poultry
and cattle. Large commercial farmers account for the bulk of crop and
livestock production.
The agricultural sector accounts for 3.3% of the gross domestic
product (GDP) of Mpumalanga and for nearly 12% of employment
(89 000 people). A separate overview of the forestry sector appears
elsewhere in this publication.
Concerted efforts are being made to help emerging farmers grow
their holdings and their output, and to connect them to domestic
and international markets.
The Provincial Government
of Mpumalanga has several programmes
such as the Masibuyele
Emasimini and Masibuyele
Esibayeni (which support subsistence
farmers) and the Mpumalanga
Fortune 40 Young Farmer Incubator
Programme, which plans to
commercialise 20 farms.
When complete, 20 SME and 20
youth-owned co-operatives will
be actively tilling land and making
a business of agriculture. Fifteen
farms have been acquired, and
infrastructure has been provided
on eight so far. Infrastructure in
the form of irrigation, broilers,
tractors, packhouses and fencing
is being provided in the 2017/18
year to the value of R81.9-million.
Seven of these farms have started
production and are selling their
produce to the market.
Agri-parks will be established
in each of Mpumalanga’s three
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