·   According to the government's Crop Estimates Committee (CEC), South African farmers are projected to harvest 18.5% less maize in the 2023/2024 season compared to the previous one. The CEC's latest summer crop forecast estimates the 2024 harvest at 13.39 million MT, a decrease from the 16.43 million MT harvested in the previous season. The expected harvest comprises 6.41 million MT of white maize, primarily for human consumption, and 6.98 million MT of yellow maize, primarily used in animal feed.