South Africa will issue import permits for genetically engineered white and yellow corn from the US after a mid-summer drought that caused 22% drop in local production.

South Africa’s Department of Agriculture informed stakeholders on Nov. 19 that it had resolved “all GE corn events that caused asynchrony” with the US, allowing issuance of the permits, the US Department of Agriculture’s Foreign Agriculture Service said in a report.

South Africa could import about 800 000 tons of corn in the marketing year that runs from May 2024 to April 2025, the report said. This is after the country produced the smallest corn crop in five years in 2024.

A report from South Africa’s Crop Estimates Committee last month showed farmers will barely increase the land allocated to plant corn for next year’s crop. However, the expected La Nina weather phenomenon, which usually causes above-normal rainfall in the country and its neighbors, could make for a better harvest in 2025.

The Crop Estimates Committee will publish its final estimate for 2023/24 summer crops, which include corn, later on Wednesday.