Falling prices halt growth in corn acreage in South Africa

South Africa’s maize acreage in 2025/26 is likely to remain virtually unchanged at approximately 3 million hectares, according to a report from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Foreign Agricultural Information Service (FAS). This trend is driven by lower prices and a record harvest from the previous season.

The FAS notes that these volumes are consistent with the average for the past six years, when approximately 2.6 million hectares of commercial maize and approximately 350,000 hectares of maize in the non-commercial sector were planted annually.

The following factors are hindering the expansion of maize acreage:

• lower domestic prices due to a large harvest in 2024/25 (May 2025 – April 2026), totaling 16.9 million tonnes;
• falling global maize prices;
• strengthening national currency, which is further putting pressure on export prospects.

Maize production in 2025/26 is forecast at 16 million tonnes, down 6% from the previous year. Consumption is expected to grow moderately, to 14.2 million tonnes, reflecting the slow pace of population and economic growth in the country, which is home to approximately 65 million people.

According to FAS, the domestic price of white maize has fallen by more than 35% year-on-year, while prices for yellow maize have fallen by 25%.

“This decline reflects oversupply in the domestic market, as domestic prices are approaching export parity,” FAS notes. “Furthermore, global maize prices continue to decline, and the rand/dollar exchange rate has strengthened since the beginning of the year.”

South Africa remains a key maize supplier in the region. Exports in 2025/26 are projected at 2.2 million tonnes, supported by a large commercial harvest and high ending stocks of 1.8 million tonnes. Corn imports are not expected due to ample domestic supply and the high competitiveness of local products.

Tags: corn