2020 maize crop expected to increase by 37% – Reuters survey

South Africa will likely harvest 37% more maize in 2020 compared with the previous season after favourable weather conditions boosted yields, a Reuters survey of six analysts and traders showed on Monday.

South Africa’s Crop Estimates Committee (CEC) is expected to forecast the 2019/2020 maize production at 15.461 million tonnes, up from 11.275 million tonnes harvested in the 2018/2019 season, which was impacted by dry weather conditions.

The estimate is slightly lower than the CEC’s June forecast of 15.514 million.

“The yields are relatively good across the country. Already over 50% of the crop has been delivered to commercial silos,” said Wandile Sihlobo, an economist with South African agribusiness association Agbiz.

The crop is expected to consist of 9.081 million tonnes of white maize, used mainly for human consumption, and 6.443 million tonnes of yellow maize used mainly in animal feed.

The CEC will give its sixth production forecast of the summer crops on Wednesday at 1230 GMT.