2019 maize harvest seen down nearly 16% from prior season

South Africa is expected to harvest nearly 16% less maize in 2019 compared to the previous season after dry conditions delayed plantings, the government’s Crop Estimates Committee (CEC) said on Tuesday.

The CEC, which gave its second estimate for the 2018/2019 season, estimated production at 10.561 million tonnes compared with 12.510 million tonnes harvested in the previous year.

The harvest is expected to consist of 5.221 million tonnes of the food staple white maize and 5.340 million tonnes of yellow maize used mainly in animal feed, the CEC said.

The estimate is slightly higher than the February forecast of 10.51 million tonnes and 0.7% higher than a Reuters poll of six traders and market analysts which pegged the harvest at 10.482 million tonnes.