Credit: REUTERS/SIPHIWE SIBEKOJOHANNESBURG, May 24 (Reuters) - South Africa is expected to harvest 14% less maize in 2018/2019 compared with the previous season after drought delayed plantings, a Reuters survey showed on Friday.
The government's Crop Estimate Committee (CEC), which will provide its fourth production forecast for the season on Tuesday, is seen pegging the harvest at 10.7 million tonnes, down from the 12.510 million tonnes harvested in 2017/2018, a survey of six traders and analysts showed.
The estimate is not far off the CEC's April forecast of 10.655 million tonnes, as weather conditions remain stable.
"My feeling is that the CEC is going to keep the maize crop as it is. The only factor that can influence the crop estimation is early frost. At this stage there is no indication that may happen," a trader said.
The harvest is expected to consist of 5.345 million tonnes of the food staple white maize and 5.354 million tonnes of yellow maize which is used for animal feed, the poll showed.
(Reporting by Onke Ngcuka' Editing by Kirsten Donovan)
((Onke.Ngcuka@thomsonreuters.com;))
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