Relief for consumers: Potato price drop after hitting a high

Relief for consumers: Potato price drop after hitting a high

Have you been struggling to buy potatoes because of the shortage or skyrocketing prices? Here is some good news. 

Potatoes in a sack
Potatoes in a sack/ iStock

Potatoes are a staple in many households in South Africa. 

We use them to make chips, salads or mash. 

But in recent months, the retail price of potatoes have skyrocketed. 

South Africans have been paying almost double what they would normally pay for potatoes. 

READ: The top five potato salad recipes, as chosen by you

This was because of bad harvest weather conditions that caused a shortage of produce.

But the good news is that prices have been decreasing in the past weeks. 

This was confirmed by Willie Jacob, the CEO of Potatoes SA. 

“Adverse weather conditions earlier in the year have been blamed on lesser volume production,” he said in an interview posted on potatoes.co.za website. 

The good news is that supply has improved and as a result, prices have been reduced. 

“The price of potatoes in South Africa has decreased in the past few weeks,” said Jacob. 

READ: Michelle Cronjé-Cibulka shares her version of braaibroodjies, paptert and potato salad

This means consumers can expect to get their potatoes at a reasonable price. 

However, the expert warned that the petrol increase in the country will also affect the overall pricing of food.

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Image courtesy of iStock/ @margouillatphotos

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