Agriculture
Too much water, too late for Eastern Free State crops─── 13:23 Tue, 09 Apr 2024
Some Eastern Free State farmers have raised concerns about the effect this past weekend’s wet and cold conditions will have on their harvest.
Letuka Maseli, who farms on Cornelia in the Kestell district says summer crops were already distressed after the hot and dry summer, now the rain, which came too late, was also unfavourable.
“It does not help in any way for the summer crops. It only assists those farmers that will be able to put in the winter crops.”
Later this month (25 April 2024), the Crop Estimates Committee (CEC) will release data indicating producers’ intentions to plant winter cereals.
“We have suffered a loss for the dry beans as well as soya beans. Maize is a disaster. There's nothing that the farmers are going to harvest for summer crops this year.”
Letuka says the situation is dire. "As there will be not enough production, farmers will find it difficult to pay for their debts because of the little income that they have generated."
There are also concerns that the worsening conditions could lead to maize shortages, which may cause a spike in food prices, especially considering the grain value chain.
The CEC’s second production forecast for summer crops was last month adjusted down from previous estimates.
The three main maize producing areas, namely the Free State, Mpumalanga and North West provinces are expected to produce 79% of the 2024 crop.
The production forecast of white maize is 6,277 million tons, which is 10,85% or 763 900 tons less than the 7,040 million tons of the previous forecast. The revised area estimate for white maize is 1,555 million hectares and the expected yield is 4,04 tons per hectare.
In the case of yellow maize, the production forecast is 6,979 million tons, which is 4,64% or 339 650 tons less than the 7,318 million tons of the previous forecast. The area estimate for yellow maize is 1,082 million hectares and the yield is 6,45 tons per hectare.
The production forecast for soybeans decreased by 15,22% or 325 690 tons to 1,814 million tons.
The estimated area planted with soybeans was revised to 1,151 million hectares (from 1,122 million hectares the previous month), with an expected yield of 1,58 tons per hectare.
For dry beans, the production forecast is 54 120 tons. The area estimate of dry beans is 39 550 hectares, with an expected yield of 1,37 tons per hectare.
The third production forecast for summer field crops will be released on 25 April 2024.
