One in five farmers in South Africa plans to leave the sector in the next decade according to research by Stellenbosch University PhD graduate Kandas Cloete. News24 reports that, according to Cloete’s research, the decision to exit is personal and linked to a combination of factors such as investment costs, financial constraints, and a producer’s age. Other factors flagged in the research include access to dependable labour, uncertainty about land reform, rural safety concerns, and retirement without succession plans. According to Cloete, the average producer likely to exit farming is a third-generation, 54-year old individual with 26 years of experience and a college qualification or university degree.
