The South African Institute of Race Relations (SAIRR) said on Wednesday that although South Africa Commercial farmers constitute five percent of South Africa farm land they are key to country's food security.

In a new report released in Johannesburg, SAIRR revealed that commercial farmers account for 95 percent of the country's locally- produced food, planting their crops on only five percent of total agricultural land and owning 72 percent of all livestock

"The remaining five percent of food is therefore produced by the 220, 000 emerging farmers and 1.3 million subsistence farmers in the country. While emerging and subsistence farmers may feed their own families and some others, the above information demonstrates that national food security depends on commercial farming," said SAIRR researcher Kerwin Lebone.

South Africa small-scale farming, if supported, holds "significant potential" to contribute towards national food security in South Africa, said Herbital Maluleke, International Trade Manager of the SA Agricultural Business Chamber of South Africa (ABC).

Lebone said there are 94.5 million hectares of agricultural land in South Africa of which 13.1 million, or 14 percent are cultivated, which means they are tilled and used to plant crops.

The remaining 81.3 million hectares, or 86 percent, are used for grazing though some agricultural land could also be used for mining and other activities.

The commercial agriculture census, published by Stats SA, shows that the 47, 500 commercial farmers in the country plant all their crops on 4.6 million hectares, which works out to 36 percent of cultivated agricultural land and five percent of total agricultural land, while commercial farmers keep 72 percent of the country's total livestock.

The study, which was based on information from Statistics South Africa, the Bureau for Food and Agricultural Policy, and a statement by Economic Development Minister Ebrahim Patel, found that there were 94.5 million hectares of agricultural land in South Africa.