The Crop Estimates Committee’s (CEC) first production forecast for summer crops for 2014 was as follows:
- White maize: 6,54 million tons, 18,09% up on last season’s final yield of 5,54 million tons.
- Sunflower seed: 778 175t, up 39,71% from 557 000t.
- Groundnuts: 82 365t, a 98,47% increase on the 41 500t harvested in 2012/2013.
- Sorghum: 239 650t, up 62,81% from 147 200t.
- Only the yellow maize estimate was down – by 4,72% to 5,85 million tons from 2012/2013’s final harvest of 6,14 million tons.
“Last summer, there were major drought conditions in North West and in large parts of the Free State,” explained Petru Fourie, agricultural economist: inputs and production with Grain SA. “This summer there have been good follow-up rains across South Africa’s main crop production areas. “These differences in production conditions have largely contributed to the significant increases in the first crop estimates in comparison with last summer’s final yields.”
Fourie said that the decrease in the yellow maize estimate could largely be attributed to water-logging and hail damage experienced this summer in Mpumalanga, while parts of KwaZulu-Natal expected average yellow maize harvests in comparison to the bumper crops achieved during the 2012/2013 summer. Kobus Conradie, general manager of The New Nut Company, which produces groundnuts in North West, said that he agreed with the CEC’s groundnuts estimate.
“Last year was a very dry season in North West and in the Free State. The groundnut farmers planted very late and it stopped raining in February 2013. “Although the rain came late this summer and most of the farmers planted a little late this season, the crop looks very good so far. “We have had and continue to get above-normal rains,” Conradie said.
According to the CEC’s Rodney Dredge, the estimated final commercial production of wheat for the 2013 winter season was 1,8 million tons. This is 9 300t or 0,52% more than the previous forecast of 1,79 million tons. The expected yield, meanwhile, is 3,57t/ha. The 2013 winter season production forecast for malting barley had increased by 2 400t to 266 002t. The expected canola crop for 2013 remained unchanged at 112 041t.
