25 18 000 16 000 14 000 12 000 10 000 8 000 6 000 4 000 2 000 0 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 0 1990/1991 1991/1992 1992/1993 1993/1994 1994/1995 1995/1996 1996/1997 1997/1998 1998/1999 1999/2000 2000/2001 2001/2002 2002/2003 2003/2004 2004/2005 2005/2006 2006/2007 2007/2008 2008/2009 2009/2010 2010/2011 2011/2012 2012/2013 2013/2014 2014/2015 2015/2016 2016/2017 2017/2018 2020/2021 2021/2022 2022/2023 2023/2024 2024/2025 Graph 1: Maize area planted, production, and yield. Thousand ha or ton t/ha Production Area Yield 2023/2024 2024/2025 5-yr average 10-yr average Total planted (ha) 2 636 250 2 596 700 2 232 713 2 282 092 White 1 554 750 1 599 700 1 575 863 1 495 965 Yellow 1 081 500 997 000 656 850 786 127 Total production (tons) 12 850 000 16 435 650 10 573 847 11 405 713 Average yield (t/ha) 7,4 6,3 4,2 4,7 Table 1: Production overview for maize (2024/2025). 2. Soybeans Graph 2 (on page 26) illustrates the long-term trends in soybean area planted, production, and yield in South Africa from 1992 to 2024. Soybeans are the largest oilseed crop and have undergone remarkable expansion. In the early 1990s, the average yield during the first five years was approximately 1,22 t/ha, whereas in the most recent five years, it has increased to 2,08 t/ha, after an improvement of nearly 1 t/ha. Soybean production (represented by the turquoise graph) exceeded one million tons for the first time in the 2014/2015 season. Within less than a decade, production has more than doubled, reaching 2,7 million tons during the 2022/2023 season. Although the severe drought during the 2023/2024 season caused significant reductions in both production and yield, the industry remains resilient. Production is expected to recover in the 2024/2025 season, supported by an increased area planted of approximately 1,2 million hectares. The area planted for the season is 448 685 tons, less than the 5-year average and 98 236 more than the ten-year average. Major soybean producers are the Free State, Mpumalanga, followed by North West. PRODUCTION OVERVIEW
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