South Africa’s maize production exceeds Nigeria’s with just half the land area

AFRICA – In the 2023/2024 agricultural year, South Africa harvested 13.4 million tonnes of maize, a production level that is 21% higher than Nigeria’s 11 million tonnes, according to data from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA).

Interestingly, Nigeria allocated 5.5 million hectares to maize cultivation—nearly double the 2.98 million hectares used by South Africa.

South Africa’s success in maize production primarily stems from its higher yield per hectare.

According to USDA data, South African farmers achieve an average yield of 5.3 tonnes per hectare, while Nigerian farmers produce only about 2 tonnes per hectare.

This significant yield gap is largely due to South African farmers’ access to high-performance seeds developed through genetic engineering.

The government approved the cultivation of transgenic (insect-resistant) maize in 1997, and since then, the adoption of these seeds has steadily increased, with transgenic maize now accounting for over 80% of total maize cultivated in South Africa.

Additionally, South Africa’s agricultural system is structured around large commercial farms, mostly owned by white farmers, who receive more substantial support from the banking sector.

In contrast, Nigeria’s maize production is primarily handled by smallholder farmers. According to PwC, the Nigerian agricultural sector struggles with inadequate financing, especially from commercial banks, as many smallholder farmers lack the collateral required to secure loans.

In South Africa, investments in agriculture are complemented by improved access to fertilizers and pest management products.

Conversely, good agronomic practices are less common in Nigeria, where smallholder farmers often fail to utilize fertilizers, pesticides, or herbicides effectively for soil management and pest control.

For instance, data from the World Bank reveals that in 2022, the fertilizer use rate in Nigeria was only 7.3 kg per hectare of arable land, compared to 91.5 kg in South Africa—a twelvefold difference.

The disparity in agricultural mechanization is also significant. Official data indicates that South African farms use approximately 43 tractors per square kilometer of arable land.

In Nigeria, however, the estimate is only about 0.06 tractors per square kilometer, which equates to around 6 tractors per 10,000 hectares.

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