SA’s 2026 maize harvest is the country’s largest on record, CEC says

2026 maize harvest is expected to be South Africa’s largest on record, the government’s Crop Estimates Committee (CEC) said on Tuesday, raising its forecast by 6.25% from last year. The CEC’s ninth summer crop forecast estimated the 2026 maize harvest at 17.69 million metric tons, up from 16.65 million metric tons harvested the season before. The last estimate, on September 29, had put the 2026 harvest at 17.52 million tons. The harvest is expected to consist of 9.78 million metric tons of white maize, for human consumption, and 7.91 million tons of yellow maize, used mainly in animal feed.