El Niño set to wane, but severe summer drought hits SA’s maize, beans
Southern Africa faces a severe midsummer drought due to El Niño, affecting maize and bean harvests in South Africa, Zimbabwe, Zambia, and Malawi. The Crop Estimates Committee forecasts a 20% drop in grains and oilseed production for the 2023/24 season, totaling 15.9 million tonnes. Thabile Nkunjana, from the National Agricultural Marketing Council, emphasizes the need for awareness amidst challenging agricultural conditions to secure a prosperous future for South Africa.
A severe midsummer drought in southern Africa brought on by El Niño is expected to impact South Africa’s harvests of maize and various beans.
El Niño is a weather phenomenon occurring in the Pacific Ocean and is associated with hotter temperatures and less rainfall or dry conditions in southern Africa, as was seen with the drought. Zimbabwe, Zambia and Malawi In South Africa, the most recent forecast from the Crop Estimates Committee indicates that total grains and oilseed production for the 2023/24 summer season would be down by just over a fifth to 15.9 million tonnes, said Thabile Nkunjana, senior economist in the trade research unit of the National Agricultural Marketing Council.South Africans need to be in the know if we want to create a prosperous future.
Source Link: https://headtopics.com/za/el-nino-set-to-wane-but-severe-summer-drought-hits-sa-s-54405513
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