SOUTH AFRICA (13 February)
Although widespread rains fell in the northeast bringing some relief from dryness, this year South Africa is experiencing the worst drought in ten years in seven out of nine provinces, namely, Limpopo, KwaZulu-Natal, Northern Cape, Free State, Mpumalanga, North West and Eastern Cape, affecting as many as 15 million people. The winter wheat output harvested in December 2003 is estimated at 1.43 million tonnes, almost 38 percent below the previous year’s harvest. Maize plantings this season are down by about 20 percent. South Africa is the sub-region’s largest supplier of cereal grains. However, according to some estimates in 2004 production of maize may even fall short of the country’s domestic needs. According to some reports in early February, real maize prices in South Africa have jumped by about half since 1 December and have more than doubled since the post-harvest low in April 2003. The situation needs to be monitored closely.