Sudafrica: Political activist says stunting is visible as potatoes shoot past R100 per 10kg.

“Volumes are 46% lower compared to a year ago – almost half.”

He notes that in particular larger sized potatoes are in low supply at the moment.

Bananas are 109% higher than a year ago, again due to lower volumes.

Even pumpkins have become more expensive: R9 per kilogram, 123% higher than a year ago.

“The market is emptier,” confirms a fresh produce market agent in Gauteng. ”Everything is expensive. Potato prices at R140, R150 because farmers can’t plant, they can’t water, they don’t have electricity and there’s not enough water. We’re going to get extremely high prices, the likes of which we haven’t seen before. But can retailers sell it to the consumers at those prices? That’s going to be the problem.”

He continues: ”There are fewer farmers on the market and it’s not because they’ve found a different avenue. I’ve heard of many farmers who have broken down. A lot.”

South Africans’ no. 1 concern: food

Especially smaller farmers cannot absorb the risks anymore, he says.

In a Daily Maverick interview, a candidate in next year’s elections says his party has gone around the country to hear from citizens themselves what their concerns were.

Songezo Zibi, former editor of the respected newspaper Business Day, observes that during their travels they noted firsthand cases of stunting due to malnutrition.

“We encourage people to say what’s not working and how it should work. And then we ask people, ‘If you can change five things, what would they be?’ For most people, it’s food. How much food they have access to, food for their families and the cost. Tjo! It’s about every family having food,” says Songezo Zibi, former editor of the respected newspaper Business Day.

He emphasises that a just economic model for South Africa should be centred on food security.

Publication date: Thu 5 Oct 2023

Author: Carolize Jansen

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