Farming is an important economic resource as a wide range of products are cultivated owing to good soil conditions,
the sub-tropical climate and reasonable access to water. The following type of products is produced: fruit, vegetables,
grain, cotton, citrus, maize, tobacco and meat.
The main resources that encourage agricultural production are the Olifants, Steelpoort and Spekboom Rivers, which provide
water to the region. These sources of natural water are essential for present and long term irrigation of crops.
No other region in the GTM reveals a higher potential for desertion, resultant from overgrazing over a pro-longed
period by a highly impoverished rural population that struggles to plan and control their area. Their lack of skills
prevents them from managing their resource for long-term production. This type of farming makes the region vulnerable
to periodic droughts that affect both the regional resources and the potential to generate work opportunities for the
unemployed.
The minimal contribution of the Steelpoort, Spekboom and Olifants Rivers towards overall irrigation of crops in the
northern region is critical due to the declining potential of dry-land cultivation. Irrigation is expensive and underground
water supply in not necessarily sustainable in the long term. The total value of agricultural products is marginal.
>>>>> DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE <<<<<
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