Skip to main content

Drought doubles potato prices to record high

| Economic factors

Potato prices have more than doubled in 2016 from a year earlier as the worst drought in more than a century cuts yields in growing regions, an industry body said.

The national average price for a 10 kilogram pocket of medium potatoes jumped to R63.30 in the week ended March 11 from last year’s average of R28.45, Pieter van Zyl, an agricultural economist at Potatoes South Africa, said by phone on March 15.

“This is the highest on record,” Van Zyl said. “I don’t think it will go higher than what we see.”

The nation last year suffered its lowest rainfall since records began in 1904, cutting output of crops such as grains, wine grapes and peanuts. Farmers in potato-producing provinces such as Limpopo, which has the biggest output, the Free State and the North West need rain to fill boreholes and dams.

“There are no exceptions - all the regions have experienced a dry spell, not much rain or no rain at all and excessive heat conditions,” he said. “That’s the reason prices are very high currently.”

In 2015, the country’s potato farmers produced an average of 46 metric tons per hectare for both irrigated and rain-fed fields. For growers in the eastern Free State, who depend solely on rain, the lack thereof means yields will be two thirds lower than last year, when they produced 30 tons per hectare.

“Currently they are not even doing 10 tons per hectare - these guys are really struggling,” said Van Zyl.


Related Articles

December fuel price outlook is good news for bo...

By: IOL With a week to go until December’s fuel price sums are finalised, the outlook is positive for both petrol and diesel.

Smart shopping tips to get the most out of your...

South Africans are no strangers to the struggle of maximising their hard-earned rands, particularly when it comes to grocery shopping. In today's economic landscape, the increasing food costs are having a widespread impact, causing financial strai...

‘Bleak’ Friday: Consumers don’t have money, ret...

By: Bonny Fourie – IOL Business Black Friday is probably not going to be a grand event this year as consumers are already struggling to keep financially afloat and under-pressure retailers may not be able to offer great discounts.

Huge diesel price cuts possible for December, p...

By Jason Woosey - IOL November’s petrol and diesel price cuts could be followed by more fuel price relief in December 2023 if current oil price trends continue to the end of this month.

Petrol, diesel price cuts confirmed for Wednesday

By News24 The price of both grades of unleaded petrol (93 and 95) will be lowered by R1.78 a litre on Wednesday, while diesel wholesale prices will be cut by between 82c and 85c depending on the sulphur content.