One of the most common “everybody
knows” wisdoms about the agricultural
sector is that it is a declining sector shedding
jobs. Like most “everybody knows”
and “they say” facts, this is also wrong.
The agricultural sector, of the Western
Cape at least, is a vibrant and growing
part of the provincial economy. Indeed, it
is a core vehicle towards the achievement
of the objectives in the National Development
Plan (NDP).
The purpose of this article is to shed
some (factual) light on those crooked
perceptions. It will start by focussing on
growth in the value added in the sector
after which one industry will receive attention
as an example. The focus will then
move towards employment creation following
which the targets in the NDP will
be discussed.