South Africa Corn: El Niño Induced Drought in February Reduced Production ProspectsSouth Africa’s marketing year (MY) 2023/24 corn production is estimated at 14.0 million metric
tons (mmt), down 1.5 mmt (10 percent) from last month, down 3.1 mmt (18 percent) from last
year, and down 10 percent from the five-year average. The USDA production estimate includes
output from both developing and commercial sectors, with the commercial sector accounting for
approximately 96 percent of the total crop. Harvested area is estimated at 3.0 million hectares,
unchanged from last month, but up two percent from last year. Yield is estimated at 4.67 metric
tons per hectare, down 10 percent from last month, down 20 percent from last year, and down 12
percent from the five-year average. Yields are below average due to El Niño induced dry spells
and heat waves in February and early March when the crop was in early grain-filling stages. (For
more information, please contact Curt.Reynolds@usda.gov.)