Browse Data and Analysis

FAS (Post) forecasts Venezuelan market year (MY) 2025/2026 corn production to reach 1.2 million metric tons (MMT), a 14 percent decrease year-on-year due to a significant drop in seed availability for the summer planting season.

FAS estimates Venezuela corn production at 1.36 million metric tons for the new market year (MY) 2024/2025 on a planted area of 350,000 hectares. Significant economic uncertainty persists following the July 28, 2024, presidential election, and higher inflation and a scarcity of U.S. dollars will likely inhibit increased corn acreage and limit yields.

Zimbabwe’s production of its staple crop, corn, is expected to drop by almost 60 percent in marketing year 2024/25 due to extreme drought conditions associated with the El Niño weather phenomenon.

In market year (MY) 2024/2025, FAS (Post) forecasts Venezuela’s corn production to reach 1.36 million metric tons (MMT), 5 percent higher year-on-year due to favorable weather conditions. Production increases are likely to increase despite low international prices and limited financing that will likely discourage expanded planting area.

FAS (Post) revises Venezuela corn and rice production higher for market year (MY) 2023/2024 due to improved access to higher-quality agricultural inputs and seeds, and favorable weather conditions.

Zimbabwe’s corn crop for marketing year 2023/24 is estimated at 1.5 million metric tons. This represents an increase of five percent from the previous marketing year’s crop, mainly due to a normal rainfall season in the northern parts of the country.

In Marketing Year (MY) 2023/24, Post forecasts increases in corn and rice production due to improved access to high-quality agricultural inputs and seeds in Venezuela. However, access to financing continues to be the primary constraint to a significant expansion of harvested area.

Venezuela's economic recovery continues, strengthening Venezuelans' purchasing power and consumption. As a result, in marketing year (MY) 2022/23 wheat consumption is revised up 4 percent compared to USDA's official forecast, while imports will increase to 1.3 million MT. The United States remains the largest supplier of hard red winter wheat to Venezuela.

Zimbabwe’s corn crop for marketing year (MY) 2022/23 is estimated at 1.6 million metric tons (MMT), representing a drop of 43 percent from the bumper crop of 2.7 MMT produced in MY 2021/22. Many factors contributed to the drop in production including sub-optimal weather conditions, high input costs and macro-economic challenges.

As Venezuela’s economy continues to recover into MY 2022/23, Venezuela is expected to increase its consumption of wheat by 5.2 percent. With rising global prices of wheat, Venezuela may shift to more price competitive sources like Brazil and away from the United States for wheat grains.

Grain and feed news is positive this year in Venezuela. The forecast for winter crops is favorable due to sufficient rainfall resulting in above average yields for corn and rice.

Zimbabwe’s corn crop for the 2021/22 marketing year (MY) is estimated at 2.7 million tons, an increase of almost 200 percent from the 907,628 tons of corn produced in the 2020/21 MY.