IMPROVING LIVES THROUGH DATA ECOSYSTEMS

Summary of  financial and production statistics

R79,5 billion was the gross income earned from the farming sector during the financial year ended 28 February 2007. The main income came from the sales of animal and animal products. Buying of stock and poultry feed, the purchase of animals, and fuel and fertilisers were the leading current expenditure items (excluding salaries and wages). These are some of the key findings contained in the preliminary release of the Census of Commercial Agriculture published by Statistics South Africa (Stats SA) today.

The census covered 39 982 commercial farming units that were active during this financial year. There was a decrease of 12,7% compared to the 45 818 farming units active in the last census of commercial agriculture of 2002. The statistical release contains aggregated figures on financial information, as well as information on farming products.