World agricultural production

South Africa’s 2013/14 corn production is forecast at 14.0 million tons, up 1.0 million tons from last month and up 1.6 million from last year. Corn area is forecast at 3.20 million hectares, unchanged from last month but slightly less than last year’s area of 3.24 million hectares. The forecast yield of 4.38 tons per hectare is a record yield due to timely and well-above-average rainfall during February and March in the western and central Corn Belt when the crop was in the critical pollination and grain-filling stages.