SOUTH AFRICA – According to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), South Africa’s Department of Agriculture, Land Reform, and Rural Development (DALRRD) is set to issue permits for importing GMO yellow and white maize from the United States.
FAS estimate South Africa will need to import up to 800,000 tonnes of maize to stabilize its domestic market.
The Crop Estimates Committee (CEC) projects a 22.5% decline in South Africa’s maize harvest for the 2023/2024 agricultural year, reducing production to 12.7 million tonnes.
This volume falls short of the country’s projected domestic consumption of 13.3 million tonnes for the 2024/2025 marketing year.
While imports of yellow maize from Argentina have already begun, totaling 288,000 tonnes since the start of the marketing year in May 2024, permits for U.S. imports are expected to diversify and supplement the supply.
Compounding the issue, South Africa is also expected to export up to 2 million tonnes of maize to neighboring countries in southern Africa, which are also grappling with drought-induced shortages.
By late November, South Africa had already exported 1.2 million tonnes of maize, including 790,000 tonnes of white maize and 413,000 tonnes of yellow maize, according to USDA data.
However, these exports have tightened domestic supplies, prompting the need for imports to offset the shortfall.
This development follows a similar decision in October to allow the importation of GMO soybeans to address a significant production deficit.
South Africa’s soybean sector has also been hit hard, with production dropping by 35% year-on-year to 1.8 million tonnes, marking its lowest output in four years. Domestic demand for soybeans exceeds 2 million tonnes annually, primarily for processing into soybean meal used in animal feed.
In response to the 200,000-tonne deficit, the DALRRD approved import permits for GMO soybeans from the United States in October. The USDA noted that South African regulations allow for such imports, provided the exporting country has approved no more GMO varieties than those authorized in South Africa.
With nearly 95% of South Africa’s soybean crops already utilizing GMO seeds, the move aligns with existing agricultural practices.
The U.S., as the world’s second-largest soybean exporter, is expected to complement South Africa’s supply, ensuring sufficient input for the country’s animal feed industry.
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