South Africa poised for record summer crop harvest despite late rains

AS THE agricultural landscape in South Africa prepares for the 2024/2025 summer season, the Crop Estimates Committee (CEC) has revealed promising estimates that signal a potentially fruitful harvest.

- YOGASHEN PILLAY

Released on Friday, the report highlights significant increases in expected yields for key crops such as maize, soybeans, and dry beans, despite the challenges posed by late rains across many regions.

The CEC's projected commercial maize crop stands at a robust 14.644 million tons, which is an impressive 13.96% or 1.794 million tons larger than the previous year's yield.

The majority of this production is expected to come from South Africa's core maize-producing provinces: the Free State, Mpumalanga, and North West, which together are anticipated to contribute a staggering 81% of the total crop. While the overall maize estimate reflects a slight decrease of 0.14% or 19 850 tons from earlier forecasts, the expected yield has stabilised at 5.64 tons per hectare.

The breakdown of the maize forecast indicates that white maize is expected to reach 7.648 million tons, a dip of 1.40% or 108 250 tons from the previous estimate, while yellow maize is projected to increase by 1.28% or 88 400 tons to a total of 6.996 million tons.