Credit: REUTERS/SIPHIWE SIBEKOJOHANNESBURG, April 23 (Reuters) - South African maize farmers are expected to harvest 7% more of the staple crop during the 2020/2021 season compared with the previous season, as yields are boosted by good weather conditions and increased plantings, a Reuters survey showed on Friday.
South Africa's Crop Estimates Committee (CEC) is expected to forecast the maize crop at 16.349 million tonnes for the 2020/2021 season, up from the 15.300 million tonnes harvested last season, an average of five traders and analysts showed.
The survey is also 3% higher than the CEC's March forecast of 15.922 million tonnes.
"Crop yields, from the samples we gathered, on both white and yellow maize look good, and in some areas, above average due to good seasonal rains and weather conditions," said Riddermark Capital Grain Option Market Trader, Warren Langridge.
The survey expects the crop to consist of 8.710 million tonnes of white maize, used mainly for human consumption, and 7.635 million tonnes of yellow maize used mainly for animal feed.
The CEC will release its third production forecast for 2021 summer crops on April 29.
(Reporting by Akhona Matshoba Editing by Tanisha Heiberg and David Evans)
((Akhona.Matshoba@thomsonreuters.com;))
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