# Record maize harvest offers relief but El Niño threatens next season

> South Africa harvested a record 17.7 million tonnes of commercial maize in the 2025/26 season, a 6% rise on the previous year, according to the Crop Estimates Committee's October assessment. Farmers are preparing for possible El Niño conditions, which could bring drier weather, higher temperatures and disrupted rainfall to the 2026/27 season. AgriSA says it is too early to estimate the impact on production.

- Date: 2026-11-12 · published 2026-11-12T19:38:05.595Z
- Category: weather · region South Africa · magnitude low
- Page: https://feedsoft.ai/events/96314-record-maize-harvest-offers-relief-but-el-nino-threatens-next-season
- Commodities: [Corn](https://feedsoft.ai/c/CORN.md)

## Why it matters

A large domestic maize supply cushions South Africa's import needs for now, but El Niño risk to the next crop could tighten supply and lift prices later.

## Read by commodity

- CORN: neutral

## Similar past events

| Commodity | Date | Event | 5-day % | 20-day % |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| CORN | 2026-03-02 | [As La Niña Looks to Make One of Its Quickest Exits on Record, Strong El Niño Signals Are Now Brewing - AgWeb](https://feedsoft.ai/events/20088-as-la-nina-looks-to-make-one-of-its-quickest-exits-on-record-strong-el-nino.md) | +2.0% | +5.1% |
| CORN | 2021-11-19 | [Late French Maize Harvest Nears End: FranceAgriMer \| ESM Magazine](https://feedsoft.ai/events/43992-late-french-maize-harvest-nears-end-franceagrimer-esm-magazine.md) | +1.5% | +4.4% |
| CORN | 2025-07-04 | [Brazil: Frosts have little impact on the second corn crop, but rain delays the harvest](https://feedsoft.ai/events/13486-brazil-frosts-have-little-impact-on-the-second-corn-crop-but-rain-delays-the.md) | -6.0% | -6.0% |
| CORN | 2021-09-04 | [Late-running French soft wheat harvest almost complete - Markets - Business Recorder](https://feedsoft.ai/events/45010-late-running-french-soft-wheat-harvest-almost-complete-markets-business-recorder.md) | -1.6% | -4.4% |
| CORN | 2025-10-16 | [Harvest season in full swing in the Midwest - Agweek \| #1 source for agriculture news, farming, markets](https://feedsoft.ai/events/13047-harvest-season-in-full-swing-in-the-midwest-agweek-1-source-for-agriculture.md) | -0.0% | +2.8% |

## Sources

- sundayworld.co.za: https://sundayworld.co.za/business/record-maize-harvest-offers-relief-but-el-nino-threatens-next-season/

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