SA farmers may have planted less maize this year

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Last year‚ the producers planted 2.6-million hectares‚ with the final production estimate at 14.3-million tons - the biggest such forecast since 1982.

"Areas such as Mpumalanga‚ which predominantly plant yellow maize‚ struggled to get started on time because of late rains‚" Vrystaat Mielies trader Hansie Swanepoel said.

Mpumalanga is the country's third-biggest maize producer after the North West and the Free State. Apart from maize meal‚ the grain is a basic input for the production of red meat‚ chicken‚ eggs and milk.

"My initial call is 2.5-million maize hectares as there was not much incentive for farmers to plant more maize‚" said independent trader Andrew Fletcher.

The crop estimates committee will release the preliminary report on the hectares planted to maize at 3.30pm today.