WC ag to lose R5.9bn in 2017/2018
The drought in the Western Cape has been widely covered by the media, with a strong focus on the possibility that Cape Town is the first global city where taps can run dry.
max_goessler via pixabay
The broader effect of the drought on agriculture in the province has, however, received less coverage. In a recent policy brief, The Bureau for Food and Agricultural Policy (BFAP), in collaboration with the Western Cape Department of Agriculture, explored the economic and financial impact of the drought on the economy of the province.
It found that the Western Cape agricultural sector is set to lose an estimated R5.9 billion in the 2017/2018 season as a result of the drought. This also affects provincial labour conditions, where approximately 30,000 jobs have already been lost in labour-intensive agricultural industries.