Recent weather damage in some of the main production regions has seen many crops selling at unheard-of prices at market level, and one shudders to think what retailers will be asking just to cover their costs. At the same time, exporters are pushing as much fruit as possible while the exchange rate is in their favour, which further affects volumes on the local market.
One market agent told me that he was negotiating a massive export deal for potatoes to the Middle East. It probably won’t make a big dent in local supplies, but it does illustrate the huge demand for food from different parts of the continent and the world.
South Africa is already the major supplier of fruit and vegetables to numerous countries in sub-Saharan Africa.
All of this is good for producers, but it does mean that when supplies are under pressure, retail prices are higher. Then again, in most other African countries that import from South Africa, people are also paying huge prices – by our standards.
On the plus side, consumers should not lose sight of the fact that fresh fruit and vegetables remain the best value-for-money products one can buy. A kilogram of potatoes selling in the shops for R9,99 is still a good deal.
The price compares favourably with other foodstuffs and the product offers many nutritional and culinary benefits.
Things to come?
Commentators have been warning about food supplies coming under increasing pressure for many different reasons and I can’t help but wonder if the current shortages of some crops are not an indication of what is to come. Our weather patterns are haywire. And when you toss in other issues, such as increased demand from more people reaching a higher economic level, and political interference in agriculture, we could be facing tough times. Whatever the reasons, perceived or real, in the end it is the consumer who has to fork out more.