winter – Agri Limpopo https://limpopoagriculture.co.za Agri Limpopo Wed, 18 Apr 2018 07:50:46 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=5.2.4 https://limpopoagriculture.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/cropped-Untitled-design-1-32x32.jpg winter – Agri Limpopo https://limpopoagriculture.co.za 32 32 Winter rainfall could be slightly delayed https://limpopoagriculture.co.za/winter-rainfall-could-be-slightly-delayed/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=winter-rainfall-could-be-slightly-delayed https://limpopoagriculture.co.za/winter-rainfall-could-be-slightly-delayed/#respond Wed, 18 Apr 2018 07:50:46 +0000 https://limpopoagriculture.co.za/?p=6370 It seems that the winter rainfall, which typically starts at the end April in the Western Cape province, could be slightly delayed. The weather charts have cleared across most parts of the province, with light showers expected within the next eight days to be mainly concentrated towards the coastal areas.

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  • It seems that the winter rainfall, which typically starts at the end April in the Western Cape province, could be slightly delayed. The weather charts have cleared across most parts of the province, with light showers expected within the next eight days to be mainly concentrated towards the coastal areas.
  • With that said, the weather forecasts for the week ending 03 May 2018 show a bit of improvement, with chances of between 16 and 20 millimetres of rainfall across the province. While a welcome development, this might not make a meaningful improvement in soil moisture. The province needs intense and continuous rainfall following the months of dryness.
  • Moreover, this means the provincial dam levels could remain at fairly lower levels for some time. In the week of 16 April 2018, the dams averaged 17 percent, fairly unchanged from the previous week, but 6 percentage points lower than the corresponding period last year (see Map below for dam levels).
  • Above all, the 2018 winter wheat production season could be better than last year. While rainfall could be delayed, there is a bit of optimism following the South African Weather Service view that parts of the south-western cape regions of the country could receive above-normal rainfall between the end of April and June 2018.
  • As set out last week, this rainfall will be critical for improving soil moisture content ahead of planting, which starts next month. Already, the USDA forecast South Africa’s 2018/19 wheat production at 1.65 million tonnes, up by 8 percent from the previous season.

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    Chart: South Africa’s average dam levels: week ended 16 April 2018, with the same week last year in brackets

    Source: Department of Water and Sanitation and Agbiz Research

     

    Full report by Wandile Sihlobo in attachment below:

    Agbiz Morning Market Viewpoint on Agri-Commodities 18 April 2018

     

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