South Africa: Grain and Feed Update

USDA's Foreign Agricultural Service in Pretoria (FAS/Pretoria) forecasts that South Africa's corn production will decline in marketing year 2026/27 from last season's record harvest, as farmers plant less corn and yields return to average levels. The threat of a strong El Niño event and record fuel prices are pushing some farmers to diversify into sunflower seed, which tolerates drought better and costs less to grow, although corn will remain South Africa's dominant summer crop. Lower production will reduce exports, but record carry-over stocks will soften the decline. Year-end stocks are expected to fall to around the long-term average, and South Africa will remain a key corn supplier to southern Africa, supporting regional food security.