After much anticipation and challenges, we are now at the beginning of the summer crop harvest that is being delivered over most parts of our country. This harvest came with a full arsenal of challenges and Mother Nature threw everything she had at agriculture.

The season kicked off with well-distributed nationwide rains early in the season that gave producers the opportunity to do early plantings. A large number of hectares had already been planted by the end of October 2021.

During November 2021 the country received good rains which reflected positively in emergence reports, with an overall positive crop expectation. During December 2021, the rainfall over most parts of the country averaged 100 mm to 200 mm and in some cases the average rose as high as 200 mm to 500 mm. These conditions were already starting to put a lot of pressure as herbicide had to be applied during the time, which could not happen in many places due to the wet conditions that did not allow producers to access their fields.

However, the pattern of the exceptionally high rainfall figures diffused considerably during February and March this year, which was accompanied by sunny days that greatly improved plant growth. By April 2022, the rainfall was not conducive for the conditions. Soybean presses are now in anticipation of the new season soybeans to be harvested and the challenges are again great for producers due to the exceptionally wet conditions on the fields.

According to the crop estimate figure published on 10 February 2022, all indications are that despite all the challenges, we can still expect a very good average crop and in some areas even a slightly above average crop. This is very positive for the grain industry and we believe that harvesting should start at full speed within the next few weeks.

I would like to wish every colleague in the industry all the best for the exciting time ahead.

Stefan van Staden
Board member: GOSA

Cell phone: 083 301 0262
Email: stefan.vanstaden@afgri.co.za