South African farmer Derek Mathews inspects a cob of maize on a commercial farm ahead of the harvest, as rising fuel prices add to concerns over operating costs and securing supplies, near Lichtenburg, a small agricultural town in South Africa’s North West province, March 30, 2026. REUTERS/Siphiwe Sibeko

May 26 (Reuters) – South African farmers are expected to harvest 2.5% more maize in the 2025/2026 season compared with the previous one, the government’s Crop Estimates Committee (CEC) said on Tuesday.

The CEC’s fourth summer crop forecast estimated the 2026 maize harvest at 17.064 million metric tons, up from 16.65 million metric tons harvested the season before. The last estimate, on April 23, had put the 2026 harvest at 16.835 million metric tons.

The harvest is expected to consist of 9.179 million metric tons of white maize, for human consumption, and 7.885 million metric tons of yellow maize, used mainly in animal feed.