AGRICULTURAL NEWS - The CEC released its first official production estimate for winter grains on 28 August.
It expected a commercial wheat crop of more than 1,8 million tons, which was 17,8% or over 270 000t more than the 2017/2018 harvest.
The area under production was also revised slightly upwards to just over 508 000ha, of which 63% were planted in the Western Cape, 21% in the Free State and 7% in the Northern Cape.
Wandile Sihlobo, head of agribusiness intelligence at Agbiz, said in a statement that he was not surprised at the increase in expected wheat production as this came on the back of expanded plantings and good rainfall in the Western Cape, particularly in the Swartland and Overberg region.
