March 8, 2007

South Africa's 2006/07 corn harvest rises to 6.123 million tonnes

South Africa's corn yields for the 2006/07-season rose by 21,000 tonnes last week to 6.123 million tonnes, official data showed Wednesday (Mar 7).

The South African Grain Information Service's (SAGIS) weekly harvest report showed that of a total 4.065 million tonnes of white corn harvested, 65.1 percent was white corn grade one while totally spoiled white corn was at 0.2 percent. White corn grade two and three were at 27.2 percent and 7.5 percent respectively.

South African farmers harvest corn each year from about April to early August, with the key harvest months being June and July.

The Crop Estimates Committee pegged its production forecast for the 2006/07 season at 6.280 million tonnes.

South Africa's wheat yields rose for the 2006/07 season rose by 4,989 tonnes last week to 2.013 million tonnes, SAGIS's weekly harvest report showed.

Last month, South Africa's Crop Estimates Committee lowered its forecast of the winter crop production yields by 1.8 percent to 2.122 million tonnes, but left the area unchanged at 784,800 hectares.