Domestic market guides the rhythm of corn in South Africa

South Africa's corn planting area is expected to remain stable in the next cycle, given the decline in prices. Projections from the Foreign Agricultural Service of the U.S. Department of Agriculture indicate that planting should stay around 3 million hectares in 2025-26, following a strong harvest in the previous period. According to the agency, the scenario repeats the average of the last six crops, which includes about 2.6 million hectares of commercial crops and another 350,000 hectares of non-commercial production. The contraction in local prices limits any more robust expansion of the area, influenced by an estimated domestic harvest of 16.9 million tons in 2024-25, the drop in international prices, and the strengthening of the local currency. For 2025-26, production is expected to decline to 16 million tons, a 6% reduction compared to the previous cycle. Domestic consumption is expected to show a slight expansion, reaching 14.2 million tons, in line with the moderate pace of ...