S.Africa's 2013 maize crop f'cast down to 11.44mn tonnes

JOHANNESBURG: South Africa cut its forecast of maize output for 2013 to 11.44 million tonnes from a previous estimate of 11.562 million tonnes, saying dry weather earlier this year affected yields.

The maize crop will consist of an estimated 6.026 million tonnes of white maize and 5.414 million tonnes of yellow, the government's Crop Estimates Committee said on Thursday.

The harvest estimate is largely in line with market expectations of 11.45 million tonnes, according to a Reuters poll.