South Africa will issue import permits for genetically modified white and yellow maize from the United States to address a sharp drop in local production caused by a mid-summer drought, reports News 24. The drought led to a 22% decline in maize output, resulting in the country’s smallest harvest in five years.
The Department of Agriculture announced on November 19 that it had resolved differences with the United States over the genetically modified maize varieties. This resolution allows for the issuing of import permits, according to a report from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Foreign Agriculture Service.
South Africa is likely going to import around 800,000 tons of maize in the marketing year from May 2024 to April 2025 for the deficit.
Despite the country’s reliance on imports, last month a report by South Africa’s Crop Estimates Committee indicated that farmers are unlikely to increase the land used for planting maize significantly next year. The expected arrival of the La Niña weather pattern, which typically brings higher rainfall, could improve conditions and boost the 2025 harvest.
The Crop Estimates Committee is due later on Wednesday to release its final figures for the 2023-2024 summer crops that include maize.
