grains
Tuesday May 15th, 2018
Cereal farmers across sub-Saharan Africa are experiencing heavy losses due to the devastation by an invasive pest: the Fall army worm - Spodoptera frugiperda. In Africa it has caused huge losses to staple cereals, especially maize and sorghum, affecting food security and trade. Damage to maize alone is estimated to be between $ 2.5 - 6.2bn per year. The Fall armyworm’s lifespan, from egg to larva to moth, lasts between one to three months
Friday May 18th, 2018
The weather was again a primary focus in the South Africa grain and oilseed market this week. The most notable releases were the Seasonal Climate Forecast Update from the International Research Institute (IRI) for Climate Change Society at the Columbia University, which suggested that the Western Cape province could receive above-normal rainfall between June and August 2018.
Monday May 21st, 2018
Today the focus will be on the US maize market ahead of the weekly crop progress data which is due for release in the evening. In the week of 13 May 2018, about 62 percent of the maize area for this season had already been planted. This, however, is slightly behind last year’s pace of 68 percent in the corresponding period.