Dry weather pushed further intoSouth Africa's Orange Free State's Maize Triangle in the week
ended March 14, the Joint Agricultural Weather Facility of the
U.S. Agriculture and Commerce Departments said.
    In a summary of its Weather and Crop Bulletin, the agency
said scattered showers continued throughout Transvaal, but dry
pockets persisted in the northeast and south.
    Temperatures average one to four degrees C above normal
throughout all grain areas, stressing grain-filling corn in
areas receiving lightest rainfall, it said.
    The agency said rainfall during February was near to above
normal in most areas, but earlier periods of hot, dry weather
reduced yield prospects in parts of the northern Transvaal and
southern Orange Free State.
 Reuter
