Country Context
Administrative/Reporting Units
Administrative reporting unit (Province, AD1) name changes occurred between 1994 and 2003. However, there were no changes in boundaries. Other lower-level boundaries exist, but are not used for crop statistics.
FEWS NET has created one administrative boundary set (AD1 level) which is dated as 1994.
Crop Data
Crop data sources
FEWS NET accessed the official RSA Statistics Directorate database, with their help, on 3/22/16. Since then, annual updates have been applied using official data at the South African Grain Information Service (SAGIS) site: https://www.sagis.org.za
The "FEWS NET correction" notation found in the FEWS NET database reflects a Source Document error confirmed with the Head of the RSA Statistics Directorate who acknowledged the error but is unable to correct the official record because there is no procedure to do so.
Context
Most of the South African crop data in the FEWS NET dataset concerns “commercial” production from large farms with irrigation, commercial credit, and resource-intensive practices. This sector is responsive to a well-developed national farming, banking, export and marketing infrastructure.
The “developing sector” is how official crop statistics refer to all small-holder (or “non-commercial”) crop production. Except for a few scattered years, there is no way to break this sectoral contribution down by location.
FYI: For each crop, there are multiple (5-8) estimates throughout the year. Summer crop estimates are generally finalized in the Sept-November period, and Winter crops in the Feb-May of the next year. FEWS NET generally only records the final estimate for each season and year. Crop statistic source documents may be found in the FEWS NET document management system, and at a national portal: https://www.sagis.org.za
Historical data were re-compiled by the RSA/ZA Ag Stat office to fit the new 1994 boundaries. To have a record of boundaries before that, the old admin/political boundaries have been recorded in FEWS NET’s Admin Evolution data.