FAO/GIEWS - Foodcrops & Shortages 04/01 - SOUTH AFRICA (27 March)
Prospects for the 2001 maize crop are unfavourable. Well below-average rains and high temperatures in January and early February, particularly in western growing areas, stressed developing crops. Rains in mid-February provided relief to the affected areas but arrived too late to prevent yield reductions. Dry weather resumed in late February and March, worsening growing conditions. Preliminary forecasts point to a maize output of 7.2 million tonnes, 34 percent below last year’s good level. This reflects the insufficient precipitation but also a decrease of 17 percent in the area sown, due to low domestic prices at planting time.
Production estimates of the 2000 wheat crop have been revised upwards to 2.1 million tonnes, one-third above the poor harvest of the previous year and above average.
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