South Africa Favors Grains Over Oilseeds

PRETORIA - Sep 19/02 - STAT -- Farmers in South Africa are expected to place a greater emphasis on coarse grains than oilseeds in the coming summer cropping season, according to the latest data from the crop estimates committee of the country's National Department of Agriculture (SAGIS).

Commercial corn seedings are expected to advance from 2.88 million hectares to 3.08 million in the coming 2002-03 summer cropping season. In releasing the seeding intentions report, SAGIS did not comment on how much corn much be planted in the "developing agriculture" category. Last year, this accounted for another 516,579 hectares, lifting total corn seedings in the country to 3.35 million hectares.

White corn remains the most important class, accounting for 2.05 million hectares, up 19.1% from last year. Yellow corn seedings are expected to decline 7.3% to 1.03 million hectares.

Looking only at commercial corn production -- if yields are at their recent five-year average, this would result in a 7.88 million MT harvest in the coming year. Total commercial and developing agriculture corn output last season was just under 9.1 million MT.

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