Thabile Nkunjana | Drought and lower SA yields push maize prices up to 2016/17 levels

Drought and lower South African yields have caused white maize prices to rise to levels last seen eight years ago, writes Thabile Nkunjana.

In South Africa and throughout southern Africa, the problem of food insecurity is becoming more and more apparent. This comes after many reports from major maize-producing countries in the region that are currently experiencing drought brought on by the El Niño phenomenon.

There has been a reported 20% reduction in maize production in South Africa. There have also been notable declines reported in certain areas of Malawi, Zimbabwe, and Zambia. Mozambique is another country that normally experiences the effects of El Niño, and it imports a large amount of food, including white maize, from South Africa.