‘Pressure on farmers will affect entire economy’

While the Western Cape
economy as a whole
accounted for 14.2% of the
national economy in 2010,
its agricultural sector alone
accounted for 23.2%.
“Farming and the impact that
it has on the economy cannot be
under-estimated,” said Western
Cape Premier Helen Zille
recently.
“Some 80% of South
Africa’s black farmers in the
deciduous fruit industry are in
the Western Cape. Our land
reform model is the only one
that has succeeded anywhere
in South Africa. Indeed it is the
model upon which the National
Development Plan’s proposals
are based.
“Farming is one of the
few remaining sectors in
our economy able to absorb
unskilled labour.”
And the Western Cape,
said Zille, was one of the few
provinces where farmers had
traditionally paid above the
minimum wage set by the
national Minister of Labour.
“For example, in De Doorns
before the recent strike, the
average cost-to-company
remuneration for seasonal
workers was R100 per worker
per day. That is one of the
reasons that so many seasonal
workers have traditionally
sought work in the Western
Cape from countries such as
Zimbabwe and Lesotho, as well
as other provinces, particularly
the Eastern Cape.”
Zille warned that too much
pressure on farmers in the
Western Cape would negatively
affect not just the local
economy, but also that of the
country.