When viewed annually, the white maize harvest is down by 25%, with yellow maize down by 13% from the 2022/23 season. The expected harvest of 13.3 million tonnes is down by 19% from the 2022/23 season.

I appreciate that the minds of many South Africans are on the election outcome matters, but food matters remain vital. Reflecting on the Crop Estimates Committee's forecasts released at the end of May for the 2023/24 summer crop production season is valuable.

This is a fourth production estimate for the season, and the harvest is under way across South Africa so we may put more weight on the accuracy of this figure than our tentative view in the previous estimates.

The Crop Estimates Committee places South Africa's 2023/24 total summer grains and oilseed production forecast at 15.9 million tonnes, down by 0.5% from the previous month's forecast and 21% lower than last season's harvest.

Maize

A closer look at the data shows that the white and yellow maize harvest could be 6.4 million tonnes (down by 0.9% m/m) and 6.9 million tonnes (down by 0.3% m/m). These revisions place the total maize production estimate at 13.3 million tonnes (down by 0.6% m/m).

When viewed annually, the white maize harvest is down by 25%, with yellow maize down by 13% from the 2022/23 season. The expected harvest of 13.3 million tonnes is down by 19% from the 2022/23 season. This harvest...