February 27, 2007
South African producer group says heatwave hits corn crop
Isolated drought conditions and the heat wave of the last 10 days in many parts of South Africa affected the corn crop severely, said the general manager of independent producers' organisation Grain SA, John Purchase, on Monday (Feb 26), the South African Press Association reports.
"(With) the heat at 35 to 36 degrees Celsius daily, even higher, there was no chance that corn crops could pollinate and produce," said Purchase.
"I think we sit with a big crisis in the maize industry now."
Purchase said a big concern was the whole grain-producing area of the North West province, specifically the western and south-western region, and areas of the Free State and Mpumalanga.
Purchase said Mpumalanga looked good earlier, but the weather over the past two weeks had an effect on crops. These provinces are part of the three largest grain-producing areas in South Africa.
Purchase said February was usually a critical month in the corn plant's development in terms of pollination.
"Crops can look good from the outside but there will not be cobs on the plants due to no or bad pollination."
Many farmers in the affected area have started cutting their corn to try to get good quality fodder while the maize still has a percentage of moisture.
"Farmers have to make a difficult decision now, it's a sad decision," said Purchase.
The National Harvest Estimates Committee's next summer grain estimates are expected to be published on Tuesday.
This could give a good indication as to how severely the heat wave affected the national corn crop.
However, it will have to include data from the past two weeks.
The Bloemfontein Weather Service's Lentse Setshedi said although it might still feel as though the heatwave was continuing, it was actually over.
"The temperatures are a little below heat wave conditions, but it would remain hot for the coming week."
Setshedi said it seemed that the weather would get cooler towards the weekend.
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