A JOURNEY THROUGH TIME

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THE GRAIN AND OILSEED INDUSTRY OF SOUTH AFRICA – A JOURNEY THROUGH TIME ႈႈ
1998/1999 also promoted the production of canola in that area. This press was later
closed down and canola from the area is now sent to Swellendam.
During the years 1998/1999 until 2003/2004 the areas on which canola was cul-
tivated increased from 21 000 ha to more than 44 000 ha, but then decreased
to between 32 000 ha and 34 000 ha for the years 2006/2007 to 2008/2009. This
stagnation and even decline in production can be attributed to various factors, of
which low and uncertain proceeds were some of the main reasons. During that
time canola producers in the Southern Cape also experienced problems with snails
and aphids that damaged the crops to such an extent that it was often necessary
to sow all over again.
South Africa’s canola production contributes only a very small part to global
production. In 2008/2009 it was about 30 000 tons of a global production of
57,97 million tons. By 2013/2014 it had increased to around 139 500 tons, compared
to the global production of about 71 million tons.
Still, it is estimated that the potential for the cultivation of canola in the Swartland
and Southern Cape is around 150 000 ha, with the most important area for expan-
sion in terms of hectares being in the Swartland.
Yield
In the Swartland and Southern Cape the yields on dryland vary from 1,0 tons/ha to
1,8 tons/ha, but yields of up to 2,5 tons/ha have been obtained by producers. Under
irrigation conditions yields of more than 4 tons/ha have been achieved in trials.
Crop rotation
Canola is an excellent rotation crop with other grain and pasture crops. Especially
the types that are resistant to herbicides make it possible for canola to be included
in large areas in a crop-rotation system with wheat. In the Swartland canola is not
cultivated on the same field more than once in a four-year cycle, and in the Southern
Cape not more than once or twice in a ten-year cycle.
In crop-rotation systems like this canola usually results in an increase in the yield
of the subsequent grain crops. Compared to a wheat monoculture system over a
five-year period on the Langgewens experimental farm, the wheat yields increased
by 20% in the first year after canola had been cultivated on the same field. Further
benefits of canola in a crop-rotation system is the reduction of diseases, more
effective weed control, improved root systems as a result of a biological ploughing
action, more effective utilisation of planters and harvesters, and the better distri-
bution of financial risk.
Canola is mainly used for manufacturing canola oil and oilcake and in the South
African market competes with other oilseeds like sunflower and soybeans.
450
400
350
300
250
200
150
100
50
0
Tons (thousand)
1993/19941994/19951995/19961996/19971997/19981998/19991999/20002000/20012001/20022002/20032003/20042004/20052005/20062006/20072007/20082008/20092009/20102010/20112011/20122012/20132013/20142014/2015
Graph 32: The comparative production of soybeans per province from 1993/1994 to 2014/2015
Mpumalanga
Free State
KwaZulu-Natal
Gauteng
Limpopo
North West
THE NAME CANOLA WAS
REGISTERED BY THE
WESTERN CANADIAN
OILSEED CRUSHERS
ASSOCIATION.
THE NAME WAS COMPILED
AS FOLLOWS:
“CAN” FROM CANADA,
“O” FROM OIL AND
“LA” FROM “LOW ACID”.