Figure 1: Water resources use in South Africa
employment and job creation throughout the
food production chain. Some raw products
are directly supplied to both local and export
markets while other are further processed,
thereby adding value. The latter category
includes canned and dried products such
as fruits, juices and wine. It also includes
spices, maize flour, wheat flour and other
cereals. Secondary industries such as
transport, preservation and packaging are
also supported by the Agriculture sector. The
social value of the Agriculture sector should
thus be emphasized because of its major
contribution to food security and job creation. competitive allocation of water among sectors.
Food security and job creation greatly enhance
human dignity and contribute to the reduction
of social ills such as crime and poverty.
The economic value of water used for
agriculture is often lower than that for other
water use sectors such as mining. However,
the social value of agriculture warrants
special consideration when deciding on the Water conservation and Water Demand
Management in the Agricultural Sector
The process of efficient irrigation water
management is to determine and control
the rate, amount, timing and distribution
AgriKultuur |AgriCulture
Non-commercial small-scale agriculture at
household level will play an increasingly key
role in sustaining livelihoods through food
security in rural and peri-urban areas. To
this end, the basic human need component
of the Reserve and Schedule One allocation,
as defined in the National Water Act (Act 36
of 1998), make provision for water use by
households for their vegetable gardens.
7