South Africa: Oilseeds and Products Annual

Post predicts that South Africa’s positive trend in soybean plantings will continue in the 2021/22 MY in line increased local crushing capacity. The COVID-19 pandemic has not impacted the industry in the 2020/21 MY, as soybean production is expected to increase by almost 40 percent to a historical high level of 1.7 million tons on a record planted area and favorable weather conditions. As a result, South Africa will crush a record 2.2 million tons of oilseeds, producing 1.5 million tons of oilseed meal in the 2020/21 MY. Due to the increase in local production, soybean meal imports are expected to drop to the lowest level in the past two decades at 350,000 tons for both the 2021/22 MY and 2020/21 MY. Post predicts that sunflower area will move back to trend line and increase by 15 percent in the 2021/22 MY, after an expected 12 percent drop in sunflower production to 696,290 tons in the 2020/21 MY. As a result, Post expects edible oil imports to drop to 940,000 tons in the 2021/22 MY.