Poor Conditions Slash Summer Plantings
PRETORIA - Jan 30/18 - SNS -- Drought like conditions in parts of South Africa prevented farmers from planting as many summer crops and dry edible beans as intended, especially in Free State and North West provinces
Land in dry edible beans collapsed from an intended 60,000 hectares to 52,000, up from last year's 45,050 hectares, but above the recent five year average of almost 48,600 hectares, according to the South Africa Grain Information Service (SAGIS) first seeded estimate.
The drop in beans was mirrored in other crops, with corn dropping from an intended 2.47 million hectares to 2.309 million. Sunflower plantings dropped from an intended 665,600 hectares to 560,100; while soybeans slipped from 720,000 to 701,000; ground nuts from 65,500 to 53,000 hectares; and sorghum sank from an intended 43,700 to just 25,000 hectares.
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