In South Africa, maize farmers are lobbying the government to list maize as an allowable feedstock for ethanol. Last December, Lulu Xingwana, Minister for Agriculture, stated that if farmers could prove surplus stocks of maize would be produced, she would change the Cabinet policy.
Inter Press Service reports that Lourie Bosnan, Agri SA president stated in an interview that the government had been given "all necessary documentation and research to prove that surplus production is possible." Reportedly, South African farmers grow 8.6 million tonnes, but an estimated 1 million hectares of land are being left idle. A Grain South Africa senior economist, Wessel Lemmer explains, "Maize farmers are business people. And like any other business people, they want to see a good return. Few are willing to pour in extra cash to produce crops without an assurance they will be rewarded for their efforts."
IPS reports that Lemmer and others yields could climb another 3 million tonnes, providing the surplus that Lulu Xingwana has asked for. At stake is the South African Government wanting to make sure that biofuels do not come at the cost of food, while South African farmers are facing falling prices. In the meantime, the Government has lowered its biofuel targets from 4.3% to 2%, or 400 million liters per year, versus 20 billion liters of petrol per year.
