The back of the drought appears to be broken - at least temporarily - and South African farmers are looking forward to reaping the rewards. South Africa is set to export nearly 3.8-million tons of maize thanks to the recent good rains which could result in a near-record crop. Dirk Strydom, manager of Grain South Africa's grain economy and marketing department, said Asia and Mexico could be among customers for the maize, depending on the type. South Africa, which consumes about 10.5-million tons of maize a year, normally exports to nearby countries such as Botswana, Lesotho, Swaziland, Zimbabwe and Malawi. "To break even on supply and demand, South Africa needs close to 3.8million tons of exports," Strydom said. "However, historically we do not export the full [surplus] and sometimes sit with a large carry-over stock level. The amount of exports will largely depend on logistical capacity." South Africa last enjoyed bumper exports (of 2.5million tons) during the 2011-12 marketing year...
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