South Africa’s corn production poised to grow

the FAS to reach 16 million tonnes in 2025-26, up 4% from 15.4 million tonnes in 2024-25 and significant improvement from 13.4 million tonnes in 2023-24. Corn planting area will remain stable at 3 million hectares in 2025-26, spanning May 2026 to April 2027, due to declining corn prices. South Africa consumes both white and yellow corn, each serving distinct purposes for the country of nearly 65 million people. White corn, primarily processed into maize meal, is the staple grain for human consumption due to its affordability as a carbohydrate source, the FAS noted. Yellow corn is predominantly used in the animal feed sector, where it serves as the primary ingredient in feed rations, particularly for the broiler industry. The FAS made slight upward adjustments to its previous estimates for corn demand in 2024-25 and 2025-26, revising them to 14 million tonnes and 14.2 million tonnes, respectively. These adjustments reflect a modest growth rate compared to the final consumption ...