# South Africa's record 17.6m-tonne maize crop meets El Niño drought season

> South Africa has a record maize harvest of 17.6 million tonnes against annual needs of about 12 million. Economist Wandile Sihlobo expects meat and vegetables to stay affordable, with starches rising slightly, as an El Niño drought season approaches.

- Date: 2026-11-14 · published 2026-11-15T07:38:42.401Z
- Category: weather · region South Africa · magnitude medium
- Page: https://feedsoft.ai/events/100982-south-africa-s-record-17-6m-tonne-maize-crop-meets-el-nino-drought-season
- Commodities: [Corn](https://feedsoft.ai/c/CORN.md)

## Why it matters

A large domestic maize surplus cushions South African feed costs and reduces import demand, which is mildly bearish for maize, while El Niño raises risk for the next season.

## Read by commodity

- CORN: bearish ▼

## Similar past events

| Commodity | Date | Event | 5-day % | 20-day % |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| CORN | 2025-07-25 | [Map: US Seasonal Drought Outlook ... \| Syngenta CA](https://feedsoft.ai/events/13073-map-us-seasonal-drought-outlook-syngenta-ca.md) | +0.8% | +0.1% |
| CORN | 2021-01-20 | [Soybeans down for third session on South America rains; wheat, corn fall - Markets - Business Recorder](https://feedsoft.ai/events/8238-soybeans-down-for-third-session-on-south-america-rains-wheat-corn-fall-markets.md) | +3.1% | +2.1% |
| CORN | 2022-11-21 | [South American crops projected to hit record highs and lows - Brownfield Ag News](https://feedsoft.ai/events/38579-south-american-crops-projected-to-hit-record-highs-and-lows-brownfield-ag-news.md) | -3.5% | -5.6% |
| CORN | 2021-07-31 | [Wheat set for second monthly gain as drought cuts US yields - Markets - Business Recorder](https://feedsoft.ai/events/46098-wheat-set-for-second-monthly-gain-as-drought-cuts-us-yields-markets-business.md) | +1.0% | +0.7% |
| CORN | 2025-06-25 | [Brazil Farmers to Reap Record Second Corn Crop](https://feedsoft.ai/events/13488-brazil-farmers-to-reap-record-second-corn-crop.md) | +2.3% | -2.8% |

## Sources

- windhoekpost.com: https://windhoekpost.com/south-africa-record-maize-crop-and-el-nino-food-prices/

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Data from Feedsoft AI (https://feedsoft.ai/). For information only; not investment advice.