South Africa is reportedly expecting to harvest its biggest maize crop in four decades, a year after drought devastated output of the country’s staple food. This is according to the BBC which noted that farmers are set to produce over 15 million tonnes which means the country will have a 50% surplus for the year.
Reports say the bumper harvest is a result of good rains in January and February.
Agricultural economists are saying that the extra produce is however expected to help to push food prices down.
Food security is a concern for many, more so as South Africa experiences rising food prices which many said is making life more difficult particularly for the millions of poor and unemployed.
A drop in the cost of food would be a welcome relief for many households.
South Africa, along with the rest of the region, is still recovering from the effects of last year’s drought that was caused by the El Nino climate phenomenon and led to widespread food shortages.
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