<\/p>\n
South African commercial corn farmers plan to cut plantings to the smallest area since 2019, squeezed by higher input costs and expectations of a drought during the nation\u2019s summer months.<\/p>\n
Farmers intend to plant corn on about 2.4 million hectares of land in the 2027 season, down 12.4% from the previous year and roughly 10% below the five-year average, the Crop Estimates Committee said in its first report on intentions to plant for the next season released on Tuesday.<\/p>\n
White corn, a staple food in South Africa and across the region, will bear the brunt of the cut, with farmers planning to reduce plantings by 18.2%. The area devoted to yellow corn, used mainly for animal feed, is expected to shrink by 3.1%, the committee said.<\/p>\n
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The ongoing conflict in the Middle East has caused prices of key agricultural inputs such as fertilizer and fuel to surge. Farmers are also facing pressures from a possible El Ni\u00f1o-induced drought.<\/p>\n
These factors, among others, \u201cinfluence farmers\u2019 decisions about the planting season,\u201d Wandile Sihlobo, chief economist at the Agricultural Business Chamber of South Africa, wrote in a note.<\/p>\n
He also warned in a post on X on Monday that the looming drought could push up South African food-price inflation by the end of the first quarter of 2027. That could impact interest rates.<\/p>\n
The central bank said in its\u00a0latest\u00a0Monetary Policy Review that it will act decisively to prevent higher fuel and El Ni\u00f1o-related food prices from lifting inflation expectations and feeding into wage-setting.<\/p>\n
\u00a9 2026 Bloomberg<\/p>\n
#corn #plantings #sevenyear #Ni\u00f1o #Risk<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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