SA maize output estimate for 2015 edges up 1% to 9.762m tons

SA's maize output is expected to be 9.762-million tons (mt) this year‚ up 1% from last month's estimate‚ the crop estimates committee said in its third production estimate report for this year.

The white maize forecast was up 0.4% to 4.658-million tons‚ with yellow maize increasing by 1.5% to 5.103-million tons.

The committee said the upward revision was based on objective yield results in Mpumalanga. White maize is usually milled into maize meal and is a staple food for many South Africans. Yellow maize is a common input in animal feed.

The production estimate for Sunflower was up 5.8% to 612‚400 tons while that for soybeans was left unchanged at 942‚850 tons.

All area planted to summer crops remained unchanged.

Meanwhile‚ the area planted to wheat for this year is expected to be 481‚3000 hectares‚ up 1% from a year ago.

The committee said in its intentions-to-plant report that malting barley was up 12.5% to 95‚800 hectares.