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| AGRICULTURE |
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Agriculture is the backbone of any developing economy. It is the sector that is able
to create more sustainable jobs, absorbing even the unskilled and semiskilled workers,
and as such bring about sustainable rural development.
The district (Lowveld region) contributes significantly towards the activity of
agriculture on the provincial level. About 50% of the farm income in the province
in Horticulture is earned in the district. Most important crops in terms of monetary
value are citrus, vegetables and subtropical fruit. 6,7% of the land can be considered
arable of which 43% is under irrigation, which by far the most of all districts in the province.
The most important irrigation schemes in the region are Lower –Letaba, Blyde irrigation
and Middle Letaba. The region has future agricultural potential highly concentrated in
subtropical fruit, citrus fruit production and vegetables. Unutilized potential is estimated
at between 10 000 to 70 000 hectares.
According to the Provincial Economic Development
Strategy, 10, 000 hectares of this potential could be brought into production over the
next 5 years, mainly in new orchards in the Letaba/Letsitele basin area and about 1500
hectares in the Klein Letaba area.
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