wheat
 
CAPE TOWN, SOUTH AFRICA — Wheat imports in South Africa for 2018-19 are forecast to decline marginally to 1.8 million tonnes after doubling in 2017-18 to 2 million tonnes, due to a drought in the Western Cap Province, according to a March 30 Global Agricultural Information Network report from the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

For 2016-17, South Africa’s wheat and wheat products imports decreased by 50% to 1 million tonnes due to a five-year high local wheat crop of 1.9 million tonnes.

In the first five months of 2017-18, South Africa already imported 1.1 million tonnes of wheat, mainly from Russia, Lithuania, and Germany.

Meanwhile, corn exports are expected to drop to 1 million tonnes in 2018-19, due to a decrease in commercial production. The report estimates that South Africa will export about 2 million tonnes of corn in 2017-18, drawing from an expected commercial crop of above 12 million tonnes and a relatively large carryover stock from 2016-17.

South Africa’s corn crop for 2018-19 could reach 11 million tonnes, which is 15% less than the expected corn crop of 13 million tonnes in 2017-18.

Rice imports in South Africa are expected to be around 1 million tonnes in 2018-19.