SOUTH AFRICA PROPERTIES

Maize Farming

The vast fields of maize that sweep across the central plains of South Africa form the economic backbone of the countries’ agriculture. No less than 40% of the 10 million hectares of arable land is under maize.

Maize was first planted at the Cape in 1658. Intensive cultivation was only undertaken by the British settlers of 1820.

In South Africa maize is essentially called mealie, derived from the Portuguese word milho, which denotes a type of grain sorghum.

There is very little of the maize plant that is not used beneficially. Mealie meal or samp (stamped mealies) provide the staple dietary item of millions of people in Southern Africa.

Maize is grown to some extent in all areas of South Africa, although the most suitable type for commercial cultible types for commercial cultivation is determined by the climate. The softer larger-grained varieties do better at low altitudes, while the harder, fluit-grain types prefer the cool, drier high-lying areas. A ‘maize triangle’ takes up much of the northern Orange Free State, the North West Province and the highveld of Mpumalanga, but intensive cultivation has spread to the Limpopo(Northern) Province, KwaZulu-Natal and the Eastern Cape.

Most commercial maize farming is fully mechanized and an average yield is around 13 bags of 90 kg per hectares, although yields may be as high as 30 bags or more in rare seasons.

South Africa is an exporter of maize to many countries in Africa and rest of the world,

Let us take you on a tour of South Arica's maize farming country. Stay with the family on some of these farms and enjoy hearty South African farm meals (Click on this picture)

REAL ESTATE PROPERTY / APARTMENTS & APARTMENT BLOCKS / COMMERCIAL PROPERTY / INDUSTRIAL PROPERTY / CATTLE AND DAIRY FARMS / FLOWER FARMS / FRUIT FARMS / MOHAIR FARMS / SHEEP FARMS / SUB TROPICAL FRUIT FARMS / SUGAR CANE FARMS / WINE FARMS & GRAPE FARMS / GAME FARMS & LODGES