The drought in South Africa’s western maize belt is becoming critical and planting time for those maize areas is running out, farmer body Grain South Africa (GSA) said in a statement on Monday.
Although there was rain in some parts of the western maize belt on the weekend, it was too little and was not distributed widely enough to allow maize farmers to plant, GSA chairperson Bully Botma said.
In the North West province, there were between 25mm and 40mm of rain in the region of Schweizer Reneke and in this localised area, farmers could begin their primary ground workings, but more rain was need for farmers to plant maize, GSA said.
Over the rest of the province, less rain fell and in large areas there was no rain on the weekend, GSA added.
The optimium planting time for maize in the North West province is from November 15 to December 15, each year, and under normal conditions the province produces about 34% of South Africa’s maize crop.
“The optimium planting time is in the process of running out and unless there is widespread rain in the next week, it is improbable that the North-West province will produce a normal maize crop,” GSA said.
Over the past week in the north-west Free State, which normally contributes 34% to South Africa’s national maize crop, rain was variable.
There was good rain — between 10mm and 60mm — in some of the northern areas of Bothaville, in the Free State, while a smaller area between Hoopstad and Wesslesbron in the Free State saw rain between 10mm and 40mm.
“The optimium planting time for this area has almost passed and up to now it is estimated that no more than 50% of the planned maize plantings have been completed,” GSA said.
In the eastern Free State it is estimated that no more than 10% of the intended maize plantings have been completed as it is too dry for any crops to be planted.
“This area normally produces about 14% of South Africa’s maize crop and even if it rains well, it is highly unlikely that normal maize yields will be achieved in this area, as the optimium planting time has already passed,” GSA
said.
The deadline to qualify for production credit and input cost assurance in the eastern Free State passed on November 20 2004, for long-growing maize cultivars.
However, farmers can still qualify for production credit and input cost assurance for short- and medium-growing maize cultivars, in the cases where the maize has been planted and is up and growing by between December 7 and 10, 2004.
“This means that farmers in the eastern Free Sate have this week to plant in order to meet the deadline,” GSA said.
“Given this background it is highly unlikely, and almost impossible, that farmers will be able to plant their intended maize of three million hectares or more in time. The only positive point, at this time, is that the intended plantings in the eastern (maize) production areas are close to completion and adequate rain has fallen,” Bothma said. – I-Net Bridge