El Nino may see first South Africa white-corn imports since 2017

South Africa may import significant amounts of white corn, used to make a staple food, for the first time since 2017 as the El Nino weather pattern withers the crop, the chief economist for the main farming business association said. Dry and unseasonably hot weather that’s persisted across much of the country so far this year has slashed forecasts for the size of the harvest. The government’s Crop Estimates Committee on Tuesday slashed its outlook for the white-corn crop by 11% to 6.28-million tons, while the overall take that includes the yellow variety is projected at a five-year low of 13.26-million tons. Corn is known as maize in South Africa. If the dry weather persists, the harvest will fall further as the plants are currently pollinating and need the moisture, said Wandile Sihlobo, chief economist at the Agricultural Business Chamber of South Africa. “If white maize is lowered further we may have to import, which would be the first time since the last tough drought,” he said in a response to queries. The reason our crop is down is purely the El Nino-induced drought.”