South Africa: South Africa Could See a 20 Percent Drop in Wheat Imports in the Next Marketing Year on Increased Production
Due to an expected sharp increase in local wheat production on favorable weather conditions and record yields, South Africa’s imports of wheat and wheaten products in the 2020/21 MY is expected to drop by 20 percent. Post estimates South Africa could import around 1.6 million tons of wheat and wheaten products in the 2020/21 MY, down 400,000 tons from the expected 2.0 million tons of wheat and wheaten products imported in the 2019/20 MY. South Africa’s 2020/21 MY expected wheat crop of around 2.0 million tons will be the highest since the 2008/09 MY. South Africa’s local wheat price increased sharply to reached record high levels in April 2020 and again in August 2020, amidst a COVID-19 lockdown, diminishing any major increases in the local demand for wheat.
