NEWS
Theme : Harvest
SA Agri sector headed for another record harvest
Good news for South Africa ’ s grain and oilseeds producers as predictions indicate another possible record grain and oilseed harvest for the 2020 / 21 production season .
Kefiloe Manthata Senwes Journalist
The 2020 season kicked off on a
positive note with crops in most parts of the country looking healthy . According to a recent Reuters report , there is said to be an expected 10 percent increase in maize crop predictions for the upcoming season . Crop estimates also show that farmers have planted a 6,2 % larger area of grain and oilseed crops , spanning up to 4,19 million hectares .
The rains were mostly kind to planters and the start of the season , although not everyone enjoyed the favourable weather . Areas in parts of the central and eastern parts of the country were still negatively impacted by drought conditions so it is likely that those areas will receive a variation of good and bad harvests .
In the production forecast , white maize is expected to be 8,523 million tons with a yield of 5,27 t / ha , while in the case of yellow maize the production forecast is
6,286 million tons with a yield of 6,32 t / ha . This culminates to a 31 % increase in production compared to the previous season . Significant increases are expected in the main producing provinces of North West , Free State and Mpumalanga , where 83 % of the maize crop is expected .
According to the Crop Estimates Committee report , maize production is expected to be 14,809 million tons , which is about 1,71 % more than the previous forecast of 14,560 million tons , with an expected yield of 5,67 t / ha .
Giving his inputs on the predictions , Agricultural Economist Wandile Sihlobo said that ‘ over the past few months , the weaker domestic currency , growing demand for South Africa ’ s maize in the Southern Africa region and the Far East , coupled with generally higher global grain prices , provided support to the domestic maize prices . But it is likely that the domestic crop conditions will matter more for price movements in the future than has been the case over the past few months . ’
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SENWES SCENARIO | HERFS � AUTUMN 2021