“Dit is nou tyd om koelkop te bly” sê mnr Bully Botma, Voorsitter van Graan Suid-Afrika.

Die Mieliespesialiswerkgroep het reageer op gerugte dat die mielie-oes drasties oorskat is en dat daar heelwat minder mielies as wat verwag, geproduseer is.

Die Werkgroep sê dat die onlangse verhogings in die prys van mielies wat as gevolg van die oesskattingsdebat plaasgevind het, tydelik van aard kan wees en dat prysvlakke steeds so laag is dat mielies beslis nie winsgewend daarteen geproduseer kan word nie.

Produsente het nou die geleentheid om die mark in balans te bring wat die enigste manier is om pryse op vlakke te bring waarteen wel winsgewend geproduseer kan word.

Hoewel Graan Suid-Afrika tans nie ‘n amptelike standpunt het of die mielie-oes oorskat is of nie, sal voorraadvlakke selfs teen ‘n baie kleiner oes, teen die einde van die huidige bemarkingseisoen steeds baie hoog bly.

Indien produsente sou reageer op huidige prysaanpassings en wel mielies onoordeelkundig aanplant, sal die prysprobleem wat tans ondervind word net so na die volgende bemarkingseisoen oorgedra word.  Koste van bemarking in die nuwe seisoen moet ook verdiskonteer word alvorens produsente besluite neem oor aanplantings in die nuwe seisoen.

Die Werkgroep het verder gesê dat Graan Suid-Afrika kennis geneem het van onbekende handelaars wat mieliekontrakte, vêr bokant die SAFEX afgeleide prys vir lewering in Mei en Julie 2006 aanbied.  Produsente behoort eers baie seker te maak of sulke handelaars wel die vermoë het om te kan presteer soos belowe, voordat produksie besluite geneem word.

 “It is time to stay level headed,” says Mr Bully Botma, Chairman of Grain South Africa.

The Maize Specialist Working Group reacted on rumours that the maize crop is over estimated and that there are much less maize produced than had been expected.

The Working Group said that the increase in the maize price due to the crop estimates debate could have been only temporally and that price levels are still too low to produce maize profitably.

Producers now have the opportunity to bring the market in balance, which is the only way to realize prices to profitable levels.

However, Grain South Africa does not have an official point of view whether if the maize crop is over estimated or not.  Maize stock levels at the end of the current marketing season will remain high despite a potentially smaller crop.

If producers react to small price adjustments and plant maize injudiciously, it will cause current price problems to be carried over to the next marketing season.  Marketing cost should also be considered before producers make discussions regarding plantings for the new season.

The Working Group further said that Grain South Africa took notice of unknown traders presenting maize contracts at prices much higher than the SAFEX derived price for delivery in May and July 2006.  Producers should make absolutely sure if such traders will be able to perform as promised, before a production decision is made.