Sugar Semi-Annual Report – South Africa – October 6th, 2021

Post estimates that the sugar cane crop will fall by 2 percent to 17.9 million MT in the 2021/22 MY, based on cane that was burnt and rejected by sugar mills during the civil unrest and protests in KwaZulu-Natal, frost damage in some growing areas in June 2021, and some growers diversifying to more profitable crops. Post estimates that South African raw sugar production will fall by 7 percent to 2 million MT in the 2021/22 MY, based on the reductions in the quantity of cane delivered to the mills, limited crushing capacity due to the closure of two sugar mills, and a decline in mill efficiencies (sugar recovery rate). South Africa is expected to fully utilize the United States tariff-rate quota (TRQ) allocation in the 2021/22 MY.