He says Zimbabwe, Kenya, and Mozambique will collectively need to import about 2.5 million tonnes of maize in the 2019/20 marketing year in order to satisfy the domestic demand in the respective countries. The question, however, is from where will these countries source the maize supplies, specifically if its white maize? 

Sihlobo is of the opinion that it can be replaced with rice. This might result in an increase in rice imports this year as rice can be a substitute for maize meal in some households.  Apart for the situation regarding maize in Southern Africa, the weather remains a primary focus in the domestic wheat market as the crop is still at its early growing stages in most regions of the Western Cape – the leading winter wheat producing province of South Africa. 

The precipitation forecast for this week paints a positive picture for the Western Cape, with a possibility of between 13 and 30 millimetres of rainfall. This will be a welcome development as regions of the province, which received showers over the past couple of days, need follow-up rainfall to improve soil moisture.

Here is Sihlobo…

That was Wandile Sihlobo, chief economist of the Agricultural Business Chamber of South Africa, only on OFM.  

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