mmdeinternational.com - 🌾🌞 South Africa's 2024-25 Summer Grain & Oilseed Production Set to Surge 🚀📈

• The production forecast for summer grains and oilseeds is now at about 18.74 million tonnes for 2024‑25, which is up ~21% from the previous year. 
• Specific crops:Maize: ~15.03 million tonnes forecast, up ~17% year‑on‑year. Soybeans: ~2.72 million tonnes, up ~47%. Sunflower seed: ~708,300 tonnes, up ~12%. 
• Later revisions: The forecast was further lifted to ~19.94 million tonnes, representing ~28% increase year‑on‑year. 
• The improvement is driven by favourable rainfall, expanded plantings, and recovery from last season’s drought.

With production above estimated domestic requirements (for example maize needs ~12 million tonnes), South Africa could be net‑exporting maize this season. 

The uptick helps food supply stability and may ease price pressures on consumers given the larger volumes. 

For farmers and the agribusiness sector, it signals a rebound after drought‑related losses in previous seasons. 

While volumes are good, quality issues remain in some regions due to later harvests and heavier rains during harvesting. 

Having a large crop doesn’t guarantee higher profitability for farmers: input costs, logistics, export markets, and commodity prices still matter. 

The global context: even with improved production locally, exports depend on external demand, competitive pricing and transport infrastructure.