SOUTH AFRICAN MAIZE.

Auckland Star, Volume LVIII, Issue 185, 8 August 1927, Page 4

SOUTH AFRICAN MAIZE.

A recent cable message from Capetown stated that the South African maize crop thin season was expected to be the second largest on record, and that 6,000,000 bags will be available for export. The Union, however, has not always been fortunate in its maize crops. According to the Durban correspondent of the "Times," the two successive droughts which South Africa has experienced cost the country £7,000,000 in losses on maize alone. Following thf good crop of the 1924-25 season, that of 192.>2e was very poor; the crop harvested in the Union being about 10,000,000 bags— not sufficient for the requirements of the country in a drought period—and 15,000,000 bag* Iphh than the crop pi the previous smson. Owing to the carry-over from the 1024-23 seimon crop of about 2,000,000 bags, and the importation from Rhodesia of a quantity of white maize, stated to be between 300.000 and 400.000 bags, the Union was able to export, during 1926, 1,685,280 hags of maize, maize meal, maize grits, and hominy chop. Prices throughout the vear were high, and for the period September to Drcembf-r ruled very high. The importance of this crop is indicated by the fiu-t that but for drought the South African maize fanners, if favoured with a normal rninfail. might expect to reap 0 trop of 25,000,000 bigs annually.