In Ukraine, UkrAgro Consult reported that a report from the Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS) of the US Department of Agriculture showed a positive outlook for South Africa’s 2025-26 corn crop following the previous season’s strong harvest is leading to oversupply in the domestic market with exports anticipated to increase amid lackluster growth in domestic demand.
Favorable La Niña weather conditions in South Africa brought normal to above-normal rainfall during the corn planting period during October to December, leading to projected production of 16 million tons for marketing year 2025-26 (May 2026 to April 2027). The outlook comes on the heels of an estimated 17 million tons harvested for 2024-25, the third largest on record.
South Africa’s corn exports for 2025-26 are forecast to remain significant at 2.2 million tons, increasing from 1.8 million tons in 2024-25, which was revised upward due to increased regional demand, particularly from Zimbabwe. Corn exports remain concentrated in neighboring markets as the relatively stronger rand continues to limit South Africa’s competitiveness in global markets, the FAS noted. Top destinations also include Botswana, Mozambique, Vietnam, Namibia and Eswatini.
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Category: Food & Agriculture
