South Africa's 2026 maize harvest seen 4.5% higher than last year

South ​African farmers ​are expected ‌to harvest 4.5% ​more maize in the 2025/2026 ‌season compared with the previous one, the government's Crop Estimates Committee (CEC) said ‌on Wednesday.

The CEC's seventh summer ‌crop forecast estimated the 2026 maize harvest at 17.4 million metric tons, up ⁠from ​16.65 ⁠million metric tons harvested the season before. ⁠The last estimate, on July 28, ​had put the 2026 harvest at ⁠17.363 million tons.

The harvest is ⁠expected ​to consist of 9.49 million metric tons of white maize, ⁠for human consumption, and 7.91 million tons ⁠of ⁠yellow maize, used mainly in animal feed.