Fin24 reports that the combined agricultural job cuts for the past three quarters of 2017 reached 109,000, of which about 84% were in the Western Cape.
This is according to economist Wandile Sihlobo, head of economic and agribusiness intelligence at the Agricultural Business Chamber (Agbiz). After cutting 84,000 jobs in the first half of 2017, the agricultural sector saw a further 25,000 jobs lost in the third quarter, placing SA’s agricultural labour force at 810,000 jobs. Unlike the past three years when the third quarter figures presented an uptick in agricultural employment, the sector continued to experience job losses this year due to reduced activity in field crops and the horticultural sector. The persistent drought in the Western Cape province remained a key risk that could potentially undermine the performance of agricultural labour market, said Sihlobo.
- Read this report in full at Fin24
- See too, Agriculture sector records over 100,000 so far this year job losses, at EWN
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