South Africa’s Crop Estimates Committee has slightly raised its forecast for the 2024 maize forecast. The data released last week by the Committee showed a mild upward adjustments in the crop size from last month’s figures. The El Niño-induced drought and heatwave in February and March hit crops hard in Southern Africa  and we harvested 19% lower than last year because of the heat waves which has thankfully faded. To elaborate what this means for South Africa, and whether South Africa will be able to meet regional demand for white maize we’re joined by Wandile Sihlobo, chief economist at the Agricultural Business Chamber of South Africa and a senior fellow in Stellenbosch University’s Department of Agricultural Economics.