Maize farmers in large parts of summer grain areas need urgent rainfall to start planting maize. Grain SA says only 20 percent of maize has been planted in the Eastern Free State, while most farmers in the Western Free State and central parts of the Free State have not yet started preparing soil.
The planting window for farmers in the Central Free State as well as western parts of the Free State and North West are drawing to a close.
Maize farmers in the Central and Western parts of the Free State have until the 31 December to plant. In the Bloemfontein area, some maize farmers had seven millilitres of rain over the past few days. This is not enough to till the soil, says Grain SA Senior Economist, Corne Louw.
He says a shorter planting window in December will put pressure on maize farmers.
“ We are concerned about the Eastern Free State because they have run out of their optimal planting window, looking at the western parts where they have not started to plant, they still have until 30 December to plant but as time runs out and it hasn’t rained yet, it makes your period of planting so much shorter.”
A farmer in the Tierpoort area close to Bloemfontein George Truter says farmers in the area are entering a critical period.
“ Some of the fields are not prepared, we need rain to complete the preparations for the maize season and it is starting to get critical because we have to finish it before the end of December so yes it is getting critical at the moment.”
Following the maize planting season, farmers in the Free State remain positive that the sunflower planting period will be a good one.
