Agriculture in South Africa Author: Compiled by the Directorate of Agricultural Information

Agriculture in South Africa

A Comprehensive Historical and Economic Evaluation of the Nation's Agrarian Infrastructure

Bibliographic Specifications

• Title: Agriculture in South Africa
• Author: Compiled by the Directorate of Agricultural Information
• Publisher: Chris van Rensburg Publications, Johannesburg
• Publication Date: 1983
• ISBN-10: 090839375X
• ISBN-13: 9780908393756
• Edition Details: Third Edition, Deluxe Hardcover Release.
• Binding: Original publisher's premium heavy-gauge cloth boards, beautifully stamped with gilded typography and corporate detailing.
• Physical Format: Large Quarto (4to), comprehensively illustrated with vintage color photographic arrays, agricultural zoning maps, industrial charts, and logistical indices.
• Language: English 

Official Condition Report

• The Book: Very Good Plus (VG+)
• Exterior / Boards: The publisher's heavy cloth boards are in beautiful structural shape, with sharp corners and brilliant surfaces. Spine and hinges are perfectly rigid and secure.
• Interior: The pages are remarkably clean, crisp, and bright throughout. Free of textual annotations, underlines, or dog-ears.
• Provenance & Ex-Libris Context: Features the custom-designed ex-libris bookplate on the page opposite the title page, showcasing a stylized owl emblem and the name Richard Hall. This elegant bookplate indicates the volume was carefully curated within the private African library of Richard Seymour "Dick" Hall (1925–1997), the distinguished British-born Africanist writer, historian, and editor. The owl design reflects a playful linguistic nod to his name and the native Spotted Eagle-Owl ("Dic-Hool"), highlighting his deep engagement with the continent's history and ecosystem. This verified ownership ensures the book has been meticulously preserved. 
• The Dust Jacket: Very Good Plus (VG+)
• Condition Detail: The original graphic dust jacket is highly preserved, maintaining its vibrant colors and structural integrity with only microscopic storage friction along the corners. Now professionally enclosed in a brand-new, clear archival plastic cover to halt future handling wear.

Synopsis & Historical Value

Published in 1983, Agriculture in South Africa serves as the definitive late 20th-century encyclopedia on the development, technology, and economic scale of South African farming. This massive volume reviews every major sector of the nation's agrarian economy, including viticulture in the Cape, maize cultivation on the Highveld, livestock farming, and early water management projects.

Filled with rich industrial photography and detailed maps, this third edition is a valuable historical record of South Africa’s agricultural landscape before deregulation. It is an ideal piece for collectors of socio-economic Africana, industrial history, and reference texts.

Author Profile: Directorate of Agricultural Information

The Directorate of Agricultural Information was the primary research and publishing branch of the South African Department of Agriculture. Composed of leading agronomists, economic historians, and agricultural scientists, the committee compiled rigorous data to document and advance regional farming methods, making their official publications crucial baseline references for understanding modern South African industrial history.

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