Browse Data and Analysis

Wheat production is projected to fall to 27.5 million tons in 2025/26 due to a decrease in cultivated area and extremely dry weather. This shortfall in domestic production is expected to lead to increased imports, forecast at 1.7 million tons.

FAS/Pretoria’s Grain and Feed annual report provides information on the production, supply, and distribution for corn, wheat, and rice in South Africa for marketing year (MY) 2023/24, MY 2024/25, and MY 2025/26.

Post’s corn crop estimate for South Africa for marketing year 2024/25 has been marginally lowered due to a reduced expected planting area.

Import permits for genetically engineered (GE) corn from the United States are once again issued by South Africa. After a mid-summer drought that caused a 22 percent drop in production, South Africa needs to import corn to supplement domestic production.

The lower corn crop in marketing year 2023/24, coupled with strong regional demand, especially for white corn, has prompted higher prices in Southern Africa.

Post forecasts that South Africa’s corn area will expand in marketing year 2024/25. An 18 percent drop in the corn crop of marketing year 2023/24, due to an El Niño-induced mid-summer drought, prompted higher local corn prices that will initiate...

Given record area and prospects for good yields, wheat production in 2024/25 is forecast to be a record 28.8 million tons. Due to an anticipated increase in area, 2024/25 rice production is also forecast to set a record.

South Africa’s corn crop in marketing year 2023/24 has been affected by an El Niño induced mid-summer drought, resulting in an expected drop of more than 15 percent in crop volume.

Corn exports in 2023/24 are forecast to reach 1.5 million tons. The good harvest and decrease in poultry feed demand resulted in a large exportable surplus at competitive prices. Vietnam, Malaysia, and Sri Lanka are the top destinations. Feed consumption in 2023/24 is reduced from 7.7 to 6.6 million tons.

Corn production in South Africa is off to a reasonable start in marketing year 2023/24 after decent rainfall was recorded over most of the corn-producing areas.

After last season’s second-largest corn crop on record and a fourth consecutive bumper corn crop, the positive outlook for the South African grain industry will continue in marketing year 2023/24.

South Africa is currently harvesting its second largest corn crop in history and a fourth consecutive bumper crop. This creates a bearish outlook on local corn prices and will limit an expansion in the area to be planted with corn in marketing year (MY) 2023/24.