According to South African Grain Information Services (SAGIS) statistics, 93 188t of yellow maize has been imported, comprising 68 059t from Brazil and 25 129t from Paraguay.
This is the biggest influx of yellow maize since at least 2004 when SAGIS first implemented a record-keeping system on its website.
Marlene Louw, consumer and food price analyst at the Bureau for Food and Agricultural Policy, said higher prices might not affect feed prices immediately: “Feed manufacturers might be forced to absorb some of these cost pressures due to an expected dampening in demand.”
According to statistics from the Animal Feed Manufacturers Association, maize usually comprises between 52% and 54% of raw materials in feed production. With maize prices currently at import parity, and almost 70% higher than the same time last year, the industry can expect an increase of about 35% in feed prices, said Louw.
