The Agricultural Business Chamber of SA Agbiz yesterday said indications were that the winter crop is in reasonably good condition in some regions of South Africa, although the start of the season was challenging.
Wandile Sihlobo, chief economist at Agbiz, said the Crop Estimates Committee CEC lifted South Africas 2024-25 winter crop by 2 from August to 2.72 million tons.
This placed the projected harvest only negligibly i.e.0.04 less than the previous season. This winter crop encompasses wheat, barley, canola, oats and sweet lupines. The upward revisions in the CECs latest projections were mainly on wheat, canola and sweet lupines, Sihlobo said.
Agbiz said much of this positive activity is in the Western Cape, a major province in the production of winter crops.
For example, about 73 of the winter wheat plantings for the 2024-25 season are in the Western Cape, Sihlobo said.
