El Niño set to wane, but severe summer drought hits SA's maize, beans
A severe midsummer drought in southern Africa brought on by El Niño is expected to impact South Africa's harvests of maize and various beans.
El Niño is a weather phenomenon occurring in the Pacific Ocean and is associated with hotter temperatures and less rainfall or dry conditions in southern Africa, as was seen with the drought. Zimbabwe, Zambia and Malawi In South Africa, the most recent forecast from the Crop Estimates Committee indicates that total grains and oilseed production for the 2023/24 summer season would be down by just over a fifth to 15.9 million tonnes, said Thabile Nkunjana, senior economist in the trade research unit of the National Agricultural Marketing Council.South Africans need to be in the know if we want to create a prosperous future.
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