He says crop damages in a number of areas in the Western Cape could contribute to a substantial downward revision of the 2019/20 wheat production estimate when the national Crop Estimates Committee (CEC) releases its updated figures on September 26. This comes after previous predictions that South Africa could have the biggest wheat harvest in a decade because of favourable weather conditions at the time and the CEC’s preliminary forecast for the 2019/20 wheat harvest of 1.92 million tonnes. According to Sihlobo, conditions, however, turned out much warmer and drier than expected, specifically in the Western Cape.

He says the crop damage in some areas of the province is likely to continue this week, as weather forecasts for the next eight days show clear skies across the Western Cape.  He says, meanwhile, there is growing optimism about South Africa’s 2019/20 maize harvest with the country’s maize production season set to commence in a month from now. Major crop forecasters’ view about the potential harvest is being monitored.

Here is Sihlobo…

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That was Wandile Sihlobo, chief economist of the Agricultural Business Chamber of South Africa (Agbiz).

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