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The Crop Estimates Committee of the National Department of Agriculture (NDA) released the area planted estimate and sixth production forecast for summer crops for 2025. The committee comprises officials of the NDA; provincial Departments of Agriculture; various ARC-Institutes (Soil, Climate and Water; Small Grains Institute; and Grain Crops Institute); BFA,P and Statistics SA.
Table 1: Summer crops – area planted and sixth production forecast: 2025. (Note: Estimate is for calendar year, e.g. production season 2024/25 = 2025)
Table 2: white and yellow maize – area planted and sixth production forecast: 2025
Table 3: Sunflower seed – area planted and sixth production forecast: 2025
Table 4: Soya beans – area planted and sixth production forecast: 2025
Table 5: Groundnuts – area planted and sixth production forecast: 2025
Table 6: Dry beans – area planted and sixth production forecast: 2025
Table 7: Sorghum – area planted and sixth production forecast: 2025
Summer field crops – 2025
The size of the expected commercial maize crop has been set at 15,031 million tonnes, which is 1,68% or 247 925 tonnes more than the previous forecast of 14,783 million tonnes. The expected yield for maize is 5,79 t/ha.
The estimated maize crop is 16,97% or 2,181 million tonnes larger than the 2024 crop. The three main maize producing areas, namely the Free State, Mpumalanga, and North West province, are expected to produce 81% of the 2025 crop.
The production forecast for white maize increased by 1,14% or 87 450 tonnes from 7,648 million to 7,736 million tonnes. The area estimate for white maize is 1,600 million ha and the expected yield is 4,84 t/ha.
In the case of yellow maize, the production forecast is 7,295 million tonnes, which is 2,25% or 160 475 tonnes more than the 7,135 million tonnes of the previous forecast. The area estimate for yellow maize is 997 000ha and the yield is 7,32 t/ha.
Other summer crops
Sunflower seed: The production forecast for sunflower seed is 708 300 tonnes, which is 2,68% or 19 500 tonnes less than the 727 800 tonnes of the previous forecast. The area estimate for sunflower seed is 555 700 ha, while the expected yield is 1,27 t/ha.
Other crops: The production forecast for soya beans is 2,723 million tonnes, which is 2,82% or 74 550 tonnes more than the 2,648 million tonnes of the previous forecast. The estimated area planted to soya beans is 1,151 million ha, with an expected yield of 2,37 t/ha.
The expected groundnut crop decreased by 3,34% or 2 121 tonnes, from 63 510 to 61 389 tonnes. For groundnuts, the area estimate is 48 125 ha, with an expected yield of 1,28 t/ha.
The production forecast for sorghum remained unchanged at 137 970 tonnes. The area estimate for sorghum is 41 150ha and the expected yield is 3,35 t/ha.
In the case of dry beans, the production forecast also remained unchanged at 74 299 tonnes. The area estimate of dry beans is 45 620 ha, with an expected yield of 1,63 t/ha. Please note that the seventh production forecast for summer field crops for 2025, will be released on 27 August 2025.
Table 8: Non-commercial maize – area planted and production estimate: 2025
The area planted to maize in the non-commercial agricultural sector is estimated at 358 000 ha, which represents an increase of 3,17%, compared to the 347 000ha of the previous season. The expected maize crop for this sector is 621 500 tonnes, which is 8,09% more than the 575 000 tonnes of last season. It is important to note that about 46,75% of the maize produced in the non-commercial sector, is planted in the Eastern Cape, followed by KwaZulu-Natal with 20,88%, and then Limpopo with 20,65%.
Table 9: Winter cereals – preliminary area planted estimate: 2025 production season
1) Commercial only. Excluding barley or oats used as pasture, silage, hay and/or on the farm as fodder for livestock.
Table 10: Wheat – preliminary area planted estimate: 2025
* Intentions based on conditions at the middle of April 2025.
Winter cereal crops – 2025 production season
The preliminary area estimate is based on the results of a non-probability survey conducted by the Directorate: Statistics and Economic Analysis from the NDA, and reflects the position as at the middle of July 2025, as well as inputs from the PDA representatives. Please note that the information from the Producer Independent Crop Estimation System (PICES), as conducted by the National Crop Statistics Consortium (NCSC), for the Western Cape will be available in August 2025 and for the Free State in September 2025.
Wheat: The preliminary area estimate for wheat is 512 500ha, which is 1,42% or 7 200ha more than the 505 300ha planted for the previous season. The estimated area planted in the Western Cape is 369 000ha, which is 1 000ha more than the 368 000ha of the previous season. In the Free State, 54 000ha is planted, which is 5 000ha more than the 49 000ha planted for the previous season. The area planted in the Northern Cape is 38 000ha, which is the same as the previous season.
Other crops
The preliminary area estimate for barley is 95 700ha, which is 4,97% or 5 000ha less than the 100 700ha of last season.
The area planted to canola is 164 900ha, which is 0,51% or 850ha less than the 165 750ha planted for the previous season.
The preliminary area estimate for oats for the 2025 season is 33 520ha and for sweet lupines 17 500ha.
Please note that the revised area planted estimate and first production forecast for winter cereals for 2025 will be released on 27 August 2025. – Press release, National Department of Agriculture.
Information is available on the internet at http://www.nda.gov.za/core business/EDT&M/SEA/Reports/Crop Estimates or http://www.sagis.org.za, as from 14:30 on the date of the relevant meeting of the Crop Estimates Committee.
