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VITALARCH™
SA CROP FARMING SECTOR OVERVIEW AS AT 22 APRIL 2026 South Africa agriculture outlook
South Africa enters 2026 on one of its strongest agricultural footings in years. Encouraged by La Niñadriven
rainfall, farmers expanded total summer crop plantings for the 2025/26 season by 13% relative to
the prior season, to just over 4.9 million hectares. Maize plantings reached approximately 2.67 million
hectares. National dam levels stood above 90% full by mid-December 2025, dramatically reducing
irrigation pumping costs for water-intensive operations.
Apr 2317 min read
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