The size of the expected commercial maize crop in SA has been lowered by 2% to 10.836-million tons this month from the prior month‚ the crop estimates committee said on Tuesday in its revised area and sixth production forecast on 2011-12 summer crops.
The committee said the pace of physical maize deliveries to the silos‚ as recorded by the South African Grain Information Service – pointed towards a smaller crop.
Maize deliveries — both white and yellow — to silos in the new marketing season that began on May 1 currently sit at 7.500 million tons.
White maize forecast was lowered by 2.6% to 6.193 million tons‚ while yellow maize edged down 1.1% to 4.643 million tons. Maize is a significant input in a vast amount of food production. The area planted for maize was left unchanged at 2.699 million hectares.
In terms of other crops‚ production estimate for Soya beans declined 2.7% to 655‚700 tons. Sunflower‚ groundnuts and sorghum were left unchanged from the previous estimate. All area planted to these crops remain unchanged. - I-Net Bridge