Country News
China: A government auction of corn from the 2013 crop resulted in sales of 3.2 MMT with an average value of 1,377 yuan/MT (US$202.38/MT).
Sub-Saharan Africa: South Africa’s Crop Estimates Committee expects the nation’s farmers to reap an “unprecedented” 15.63 MMT of maize this year. It is the only Sub-Saharan country to approve GMO’s and 70 percent of the maize crop is GMO. Notably, South Africa’s corn yield is around twice that of the rest of Sub-Saharan Africa’s combined average yield.
By contrast, drought conditions in east Africa have severely limited crop production in Kenya, Uganda, Somalia, Ethiopia and South Sudan. South Africa could supply them with maize, but Jacques Pienaar of Commodity Insight Africa says that limited transportation linkages, trade barriers and GMO prohibitions make it difficult.
Further: The price of South African white maize for July delivery has fallen to R1,652.60/MT (US$127.84/MT), the lowest level in three years for the most active contract. South Africa would like to sell its 3.6 MMT surplus into East Asia but its production of white corn will have less appeal there. (Reuters; Bloomberg)
Zimbabwe: The government had reduced the mandatory blending of ethanol with petrol down from 15 percent to 5 percent in March, but now has increased the amount to 10 percent. Supplies had been tight in March but now there are increased supplies available.