January 2000

South Africa's Soil Moisture Supports Crop Development
as of January 5

South Africa is projected to produce 8.5 million tons of corn during 1999/2000, up 20 percent from last season. Harvested area is estimated higher than last year at 3.2 million hectares based on a government survey indicating that commercial producers intended to plant about 6 percent more white corn and 10 percent more yellow than the previous season. The increase is mainly due to a shift from sunflowerseed into corn. Estimated yield is near average at this early point of the season. Planting is now virtually complete. Under normal circumstances, planting in eastern areas would have been completed by the end of October, but the rains were about four weeks late. Planting was also delayed in the west, where the first good rains only fell at the end of November. Dry and hot weather persisted through November into early December. However, rainfall has been very favorable across the Maize Triangle since the second week of December. Although the crop was planted later than usual, the timely rains are expected to reduce the effect of delayed plantings. Conditions are currently favorable for crop development.

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