South African Grain Information Service is funded by its members, which consists of The Maize Trust, Oil and Protein Seeds Development Trust, Winter Cereal Trust and The Sorghum Trust.
Each trust annually appoints two directors and one alternate director each year on the board of South African Grain Information Service (SAGIS).
Market participants of each of the four industries’ established forums meet regularly and amongst others make recommendations concerning the informational needs of the industry and the funding of the institution and additional services.
Users of South African Grain Information Service data and information can broadly be divided into Primary Producers, Traders or Processors and Policy Makers. Primary Producers consist of white and yellow maize producers, sorghum producers, oilseed producers and winter cereal producers, who use the information to guide planting decisions, such as what and volumes to be planted, as well as for input management, prices to be expected and the volumes to be marketed at specific times.
The information gives traders and processors an idea of the availability of local products, as such allowing them to plan imports and exports, while it helps Policy Makers with planning, concerning trade agreements, food security and the development of new producers.
This section on grain crops of South Africa looks at crops grown by subsistence and commercial farmers. These crops are often very suitable ...