Page 33 - GSA Annual Report / Jaarverslag 2013

Bedryfsdienste
Industry Services
31
Production conditions in the 2012/2013 production season
Produksie-omstandighede in die 2012/2013-produksieseisoen
The serious drought in the western maize regions will remain fixed in the memories of grain producers
as they move forward. The drought conditions have considerably dampened the high expectations of
a large maize crop for South Africa. The below-average rainfall that occurred in the North West and
large parts of the Free State meant that most of the summer crops in these regions did not yield good
harvests. The harvesting process was also completed earlier than usual, as the prevailing drought
conditions caused plants to dry off early.
Despite the unfavourable climatic conditions, producers expanded their maize plantings by 3,0% from the
2011/2012 production season to the 2012/2013 production season. Compared to the previous production
season (2011/2012), producers also expanded plantings of all the other summer crops, namely sunflower,
groundnuts, sorghum and soybeans. These expansions were mainly the result of better crop prices.
Winter grain producers planted 1,1% less wheat for the 2013/2014 production season than in the
2012/2013 production season. The barley plantings have also declined since last year, while drastic
expansions occurred with canola. The decrease in wheat hectares was still the result of fewer plantings
in the Free State and can be attributed to the improved profitability position of summer crops. Producers
in the Western Cape in particular have been experiencing good agricultural conditions over the past few
years and this has meant that record yields were obtained in the 2012/2013 production season, while
the second best yields are expected to be harvested for the 2013/2014 season.
Die erge droogte in die westelike mieliestreke sal in die geheue van elke graanprodusent vasgepen
bly met sy pad vorentoe. Die droogtetoestande het die goeie verwagtinge vir Suid-Afrika om ‘n groot
mielie-oes te lewer, aansienlik gedemp. Hierdie ondergemiddelde reënval wat in die Noordwes
Provinsie en groot dele van die Vrystaat voorgekom het, het meegebring dat die meeste van die
somergewasse in dié streke nie goeie oeste gelewer het nie. Die stroopproses was ook vroeër as
normaal afgehandel, aangesien die heersende droogtetoestande plante vroeg laat afdroog het.
Ten spyte van die ongunstige klimaatstoestande het produsente hul mielie-aanplantings met 3,0%
vanaf die 2011/2012-produksieseisoen tot die 2012/2013-produksieseisoen uitgebrei. Vergeleke met
die vorige produksieseisoen (2011/2012), het produsente ook hulle aanplantings van al die ander
somergewasse, naamlik sonneblom, grondbone, sorghum en sojabone uitgebrei. Hierdie uitbreidings
is hoofsaaklik die gevolg van beter gewaspryse.
Wintergraanprodusente het vir die 2013/2014-produksieseisoen 1,1% minder koring as in die
2012/2013-produksieseisoen aangeplant. Die aanplantings van gars het ook sedert verlede jaar
afgeneem, terwyl drastiese uitbreidings met kanola plaasgevind het. Dié afname in koringhektare is steeds
die gevolg van minder aanplantings in die Vrystaat en kan aan die beter winsgewendheidsposisie van
500
700
1 500
1 300
1 100
900
1 700
1 900
2 100
2 300
Thousand ha/
Duisend ha
Production years/Produksiejare
Graph 1: total area planted to maize
Grafiek 1: Totale oppervlakte onder mielies
1993/941994/951995/961996/971997/981998/991999/002000/012001/022002/032003/042004/052005/062006/072007/082008/092009/102010/112011/122012/13
White maize/Witmielies Yellow maize/Geelmielies
The serious drought
in the western maize
regions will remain
fixed in the memories
of grain producers as
they move forward.