According to a report last month from the Foreign Agriculture Service (FAS) of the United States Department of Agriculture, South Africa has issued permits to import genetically-engineered corn from the United States to make up for a 22% drop in domestic production.
South Africa could import 800,000 tonnes of corn in 2023-24 after producing its smallest corn crop in five years at 13.3 million tonnes. An El Niño induced mid-summer drought and excessive heat during the crucial vegetative and flowering stages for corn reduced the yield potential, the FAS said.
Area Planted, Production, and Yields of Corn in South Africa over the Past 10 Years
South Africa has already imported 288,000 million tonnes of yellow corn so far in MY 2023/24, exclusively from Argentina. During South Africa’s previous severe drought in MY2015/16 and MY2016/17, the United States exported 273,200 million tonnes of corn to South Africa at a value of almost $60 million.
According to the report, the white corn crop, a staple food for many households, is estimated at 6.4 million tonnes while the yellow corn crop is estimated at 6.9 million tonnes, which is primarily used for animal feed.
Given the high cost of transportation from South Africa’s summer rainfall production regions, it could cost less to import corn into southern ports than to transport domestic crop to millers and feed manufacturers in the southern and western coastal areas.
