# Challenging year ahead for South African beef cattle farmers

> South Africa faces a challenging 2019 for beef cattle farmers after dry conditions delayed maize and soybean plantings and raised grain prices. Foot-and-mouth disease was also confirmed in cattle in Limpopo's Vhembe District, threatening the country's disease-free status.

- Date: 2019-01-15 · published 2019-01-15T12:00:00.000Z
- Category: weather · region South Africa · magnitude medium
- Page: https://feedsoft.ai/events/61042-challenging-year-ahead-for-south-african-beef-cattle-farmers
- Commodities: [Corn](https://feedsoft.ai/c/CORN.md), [Soybeans](https://feedsoft.ai/c/SOY.md)

## Why it matters

Higher maize and soybean prices raise feed costs for South African livestock producers, while FMD restrictions reduce red meat export demand and may lower local meat prices.

## Read by commodity

- SOY: bullish ▲
- CORN: bullish ▲

## Similar past events

| Commodity | Date | Event | 5-day % | 20-day % |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| CORN | 2020-04-29 | [South America Calling](https://feedsoft.ai/events/53471-south-america-calling.md) | +2.5% | +2.3% |
| CORN | 2025-03-28 | [South America Calling](https://feedsoft.ai/events/13506-south-america-calling.md) | +0.5% | +5.5% |
| CORN | 2023-09-21 | [South America Calling](https://feedsoft.ai/events/13623-south-america-calling.md) | -0.2% | +0.5% |
| CORN | 2019-06-10 | [Agritrends- Increased feed prices a concern for livestock farmers- South Africa](https://feedsoft.ai/events/58724-agritrends-increased-feed-prices-a-concern-for-livestock-farmers-south-africa.md) | +5.9% | +4.8% |
| CORN | 2019-07-15 | [Cattle and beef markets looking for summer direction: Peel](https://feedsoft.ai/events/58218-cattle-and-beef-markets-looking-for-summer-direction-peel.md) | -2.6% | -7.4% |
| SOY | 2023-09-21 | [South America Calling](https://feedsoft.ai/events/13623-south-america-calling.md) | -1.3% | -0.7% |
| SOY | 2019-06-10 | [Agritrends- Increased feed prices a concern for livestock farmers- South Africa](https://feedsoft.ai/events/58724-agritrends-increased-feed-prices-a-concern-for-livestock-farmers-south-africa.md) | +4.7% | +2.2% |
| SOY | 2025-05-15 | [Argentina's soy farmers race ahead with harvest to beat the rains](https://feedsoft.ai/events/13856-argentina-s-soy-farmers-race-ahead-with-harvest-to-beat-the-rains.md) | -0.4% | -2.3% |

## Sources

- bizcommunity.com: https://www.bizcommunity.com/Article/196/742/186222.html

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