Grain & Seeds Production & Processing

Introduction  

Grain crops are broadly divided into two categories, namely cereals and oil crops. Main cereal crops in South Africa are maize, wheat, oats, barley, rye, beans and sorghum. The common oil crops are soybean, sunflower, canola, and groundnuts. 

The grain industry is one of the largest industries of South African agriculture producing between 25% and 33% of the total gross value of agricultural production. The industry comprises of a number of key stakeholders including input suppliers, farmers, silo owners, grain traders, processors, bakers, research organisations, and other stakeholders. It is estimated that there are approximately 10 000 commercial grain producers in South Africa which account for about 90% of all grains produced in South Africa. It is further estimated that there are close to 3 million subsistence farmers. 

Mode of Transport 

The industry uses both the road as well as the rail transport infrastructures. Approximately 20% of the products are transported by rail and the remaining 80% is transported by road.  

Volumes – Annual Tonnages 

The following table shows the grain production in the province (sourced from the National Department of Agriculture) 

Table 1: Annual Tonnages 

Issues 

The issues encountered in the province are the poor road conditions and the high costs of transportation.