Don Robertson
26 September 2004
Johannesburg — THE wheat crop in the current season is expected to be about a third bigger than that of last year, with better yields in most areas, according to the Crop Estimates Committee.
The second estimate forecasts that 2.050 million tons will be harvested this year compared with the final crop of 1.540 million tons last year, although the area planted to wheat was substantially larger at 851 200ha compared with 748 000ha. The average yield is 2.41 tons per hectare.
The first indication of intentions to plant maize for the 2004/5 season is 2.845 million hectares, an increase of 7.9% on the 2.645 million hectares planted last season.
Of this, 1.810 million hectares will be planted to white maize, a 4.8% increase on last year's planting, and 1.043 million hectares will be under yellow maize, representing a 13.6% increase, according to the Crop Estimates Committee.
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