Farmers plan to sow more maize

FARMERS intend to plant 25% more hectares of maize this season in the hope that decent rainfall will ease the hardship caused by last year’s intense drought.

South Africa’s Crop Estimates Committee (CEC) is expected to announce that farmers plan to sow 2.44 million hectares with maize, up from the 1.95 million hectares planted last year.

The CEC will give its first forecast on intentions to plant tomorrow for the 2016-17 maize growing season.

An El Nino weather pattern, which ended in May, brought severe drought with blistering temperatures last season.

The CEC has pegged last season’s harvest at 7.5 million tons, 25% smaller than the 9.95 million tons reaped the previous year, but higher than initial expectations.

Another poor maize harvest will have serious implications for the economy after white maize, the staple food, doubled in price last year, fuelling inflation.