Summer grain crops have been badly affected by the limited rainfall and hot weather during February, said Grain SA on Thursday.
”The limited rainfall and very hot weather experienced during February in most parts of the summer crop area have done a great deal of damage to what potentially could have been a good crop,” said Grain SA chairperson Neels Ferreira.
He said early plantings needed moisture to allow the grain to reach its full capacity.
Younger plants in blossom and in pollination had been damaged by extremely high temperatures.
Ferreira said rainfall had been very light and scattered.
Moisture deficiency would have an ”immensely negative effect” on a crop initially regarded as ”above average”.
Hail storms also affected the size of the summer crop.
Not all producers acquired insurance against hail, so the effects of the hail storms were difficult to quantify, he said.
Ferreira said good rains needed to fall during the last few months of summer to get winter crops like wheat off to a good start.
Rainfall was particularly needed in production areas in the north of the country.
He said in areas like the Western Cape the accumulation of ground moisture before planting was not so critical as long as continuous winter rains occurred.
Shortages of winter grains could result unless rainfall patterns improved.
”If rainfall patterns are not favourable in the coming months and the production of winter grains is affected negatively, the outlook for availability of these commodities in the coming season will not be good.” – Sapa