Oilseed production increased by almost 40% in 2021.
The history of the growing popularity of soybean production in South Africa dates back to the last century.
In the 1970s, the animals were fed primarily with fishmeal, so chickens, for example, tasted like fish.
There was a lot of fishmeal, but practically no soy was produced.
In 1972, the country produced 4,600 tonnes of soybeans, while the United States, for example, had 35 million tonnes of soybeans, and Brazil and Argentina 3.2 million tonnes.
In 1990, a working group on soybeans emerged in the protein research fund, which in 1996/1997 produced 120,000 tonnes of soybeans on 87,000 hectares.
Already in the next marketing year, production increased to 215,000 tons, and the area under the crop increased to 125,000 hectares.
Crop yields and acreage continued to grow, and in 2014/2015, South Africa produced more than a million tonnes of soybeans (1.04 million tonnes) for the first time. The area of land for cultivation of crops has grown to 687,300 hectares.
If earlier corn producers perceived soybeans as an additional commodity, now they are competing commodities.
An important role was played by the understanding of the producers of the importance of soybeans in the alternation of its sowing with corn, which significantly increased the yield.
The growing popularity of soybean production has brought a large number of international seed companies to the country.
Large funds have been invested by the oil processing industry in modern equipment, which doubled the processing capacity.
The country has set a goal to achieve a ratio of soybean and corn yields of 30% and 70%, respectively.
The United States produces corn and soybeans almost equally, while Argentina produces 18% and 82%.
For the current marketing year, South Africa expects to harvest 2.2 million tonnes of soybeans and produce 1.5 million tonnes of oilseed meal.
The USDA predicts that a strong soybean crop in South Africa will put pressure on local prices and oilseed planners’ planning at the end of 2021.
