• Latest
  • Trending
  • All
  • News
  • Lifestyle
Consumers may be paying much more for carrots and tomatoes until April this year, predicts agricultural economist Dr Johnny van der Merwe. Photo: Supplied/Food For Mzansi

Vegetable prices to hit the roof this week

8th February 2021

R350 grant puts sisters on agri path to success

15th August 2022
The uMngeni Municipality in KwaZulu-Natal is supporting local farmers through a new agricultural unit that has been established in the municipality. Photo: Supplied/Food For Mzansi

Farmer support: KZN municipality leads the way

15th August 2022
ADVERTISEMENT
Farmers in the south-western parts of the country can expect a slightly drier than usual spring. Photo: Supplied/Food For Mzansi

ICYMI: Below-normal winter rainfall to continue

15th August 2022
This week's Agri calendar features a wine and food event, an online discussion on biofilms the dairy industry and another on cutting fertiliser costs. There's also a livestock auction to look out for and an online event about soil. Include your event to the calendar by emailing info@foodformzansi.com. Photo: Supplied/Food For Mzansi

This week’s agriculture events: 15 to 18 August 2022

15th August 2022
Andile Matukane, founder of Farmers Choice and Devroll Legodi, founder of Devroll Herbs, joined a recent session of Food For Mzansi’s Gather To Grow on twitter o discuss the cultivation of spring onions in Mzansi. Photo: Supplied/Food For Mzansi

Farmer 101: Top tips to grow spring onions

14th August 2022
This drone is collecting data which farmers can then access on the yield management platform. Photo: Supplied/Aerobotics

How the Internet of Things is transforming agri

13th August 2022
His life took a turn for the worst when he ended up in jail for dealing in drugs, but Thembinkosi Matika turned his life around and now helps others through his Legacy Farming Project. Photo: Supplied/Food For Mzansi

Drug dealer turned farmer ploughs back

12th August 2022
Beat the winter blues with yummy butter chicken

Beat the winter blues with yummy butter chicken

12th August 2022
Households in South Africa could be in for some respite in the coming months on food prices. Photo: Supplied/Food For Mzansi

Food may soon be cheaper. What’s the catch?

12th August 2022
Archive photo. Western Cape agri MEC Ivan Meyer highlighted small towns' dependence on agriculture during a recent provincial summit with municipal leaders. Photo: Supplied/Food For Mzansi

ICYMI: MEC lines up municipal support for farmers

12th August 2022
Christo Van der Rheede is the executive director of Agri SA. Photo: Supplied/Food For Mzansi

Former music teacher leads agri’s greatest symphony

12th August 2022
Bumper harvest for Mzansi’s olive growers

Bumper harvest for Mzansi’s olive growers

11th August 2022
  • Home
  • News
  • Changemakers
  • Lifestyle
  • Farmer’s Inside Track
  • Food for Thought
11 GLOBAL MEDIA AWARDS
Monday, August 15, 2022
Food For Mzansi
  • Home
  • News
  • Changemakers
    • All
    • AgriCareers
    • Entrepreneurs
    • Farmers
    • Groundbreakers
    • Innovators
    • Inspiration
    • It Takes a Village
    • Mentors
    • Movers and Shakers
    • Partnerships

    R350 grant puts sisters on agri path to success

    The uMngeni Municipality in KwaZulu-Natal is supporting local farmers through a new agricultural unit that has been established in the municipality. Photo: Supplied/Food For Mzansi

    Farmer support: KZN municipality leads the way

    This drone is collecting data which farmers can then access on the yield management platform. Photo: Supplied/Aerobotics

    How the Internet of Things is transforming agri

    His life took a turn for the worst when he ended up in jail for dealing in drugs, but Thembinkosi Matika turned his life around and now helps others through his Legacy Farming Project. Photo: Supplied/Food For Mzansi

    Drug dealer turned farmer ploughs back

    Christo Van der Rheede is the executive director of Agri SA. Photo: Supplied/Food For Mzansi

    Former music teacher leads agri’s greatest symphony

    Agripreneur 101: Creating a beauty brand

    Agripreneur 101: Creating a beauty brand

    Claire and Martin Joubert have sacrificed and struggled to become top breeders of Ankole cattle in South Africa. But giving up was never an option, because they wanted to offer only the very best Ankole genetics in the country. Photo: Supplied/Food For Mzansi

    Farming couple lives and breathes Ankole cattle

    Tackling climate change, one tree at a time

    Agricareers: Veterinary science not for the timid

    Agricareers: Veterinary science not for the timid

  • Lifestyle
  • Farmer’s Inside Track
  • Food for Thought
No Result
View All Result
Food For Mzansi

Vegetable prices to hit the roof this week

by Sinesipho Tom
8th February 2021
in News
Reading Time: 4 mins read
A A
Consumers may be paying much more for carrots and tomatoes until April this year, predicts agricultural economist Dr Johnny van der Merwe. Photo: Supplied/Food For Mzansi

Consumers may be paying much more for carrots and tomatoes until April this year, predicts agricultural economist Dr Johnny van der Merwe. Photo: Supplied/Food For Mzansi

If you thought that carrot and tomato prices were currently particularly high, brace yourself because it is set to get worse. Severe rain in several provinces, including Gauteng, North West, Free State and Mpumalanga, may drive vegetable prices through the roof until April.

Dr Johnny van der Merwe, a senior lecturer in agricultural economics at North-West University, says the price surge is because most producers are negatively affected by high rainfall which limits supplies to markets.  

Dr Johnny van der Merwe, agricultural economist with the North-West University. Photo: Supplied
Dr Johnny van der Merwe, agricultural economist with the North-West University. Photo: Supplied

Carrot prices have already increased by 22% to R3,64 per kilogram last week, mostly due to the high demand locally and abroad, says Van der Merwe.

The higher vegetable prices will, most likely, be in place until April with lower volumes also expected.

ADVERTISEMENT

Also, tomato prices increased by 24% week-on-week to R5,82 per kilogram. Van der Merwe says, based on market indications, this might pick up slightly this coming week due to current high demand.

Producers may also see lower production, especially in the northern parts of Mzansi, due to constant rainfall.

However, the Western Cape is now coming into production, which can put pressure on prices in this region, he says.

Onion and garlic prices

Meanwhile onion prices decreased by 3% to R3,84 per kilogram last week.

“Volumes are still increasing on the market, which is likely to stay on a higher level over the next two months, at least. Prices can therefore remain sideways this next month, but higher expected demand can support prices slightly in March and April again,” he says.

The prices of garlic and ginger have skyrocketed as many people believe they help fight against Covid-19 related diseases. Photo: Supplied/Food For Mzansi
The prices of garlic and ginger have skyrocketed as many people believe they help fight against Covid-19 related diseases. Photo: Supplied/Food For Mzansi

The other vegetable prices that increased are for cabbages, garlic and spinach. Cabbage is now trading at about R2,34 per kilogram while garlic prices were at R97,12 per kg.

ALSO READ: How old are the ‘fresh’ produce we eat?

Van der Merwe expects the garlic price to stay on an upward trend as volumes will most likely decrease on the markets. Spinach prices, on the other hand, doubled last week to R4,85 per kilogram due to lower available volumes.

In the longer term, the agricultural economist expects prices to continue increasing as volumes become scarcer on the markets.

ADVERTISEMENT

What about fruit prices?

Meanwhile fruit prices are also impacted by the weather, which has resulted in low volumes as some producers can’t get to the lands at the moment.  

Van der Merwe says banana prices traded at about R5,95 last week, but there are significantly lower volumes this week currently supporting prices. Apples and pears traded at R10,04 and R8,32 per kilogram respectively.

“The longer-term price expectation for both these commodities are downwards with apple volumes expected to increase in March. Pear volumes have already increased on the markets,” he says.

Oranges are trading at R8,84 per kilogram while avocados decreased to R30,80 per kilogram. Avocado volumes will increase significantly over the next three months, which can put severe pressure on prices.

Mangoes are currently trading at about R10,91, pineapples at R14,82, peaches on R10,83, lemons at R10,34 and blueberries at R160,36 per kilogram last week.

ALSO READ: Here’s why you’re paying more for food

Tags: FruitJohnny van der MerweNorth West UniversityNWUVegetables
Previous Post

Pollution: A farmer’s desperate cry as waste swallows his land

Next Post

This week in agri: 8 to 14 February 2021

Sinesipho Tom

Sinesipho Tom

Sinesipho Tom is an audience engagement journalist at Food for Mzansi. Before joining the team, she worked in financial and business news at Media24. She has an appetite for news reporting and has written articles for Business Insider, Fin24 and Parent 24. If you could describe Sinesipho in a sentence you would say that she is a small-town girl with big, big dreams.

Related Posts

This week's Gather To Grow session featured Njabulo Maseko, mixed farmer in Mpumalanga, Lufano Netshikhudini from anointed farming trade and projects, Leshalagae Mojapelo of BK Agric Traders in Polokwane, and poultry and crop farme, Taetso Tsebogo. Photo: Supplied/Food For Mzansi

Farmer 101: Tips for growing cabbages

by Vateka Halile
25th July 2022
0

FARMER'S INSIDE TRACK: South Africans love their cabbage - imagine fried chicken without the slaw? This popular leafy green is...

Hendrick Haas and Anna Cloete members of the Kenhardt cooperative believes that they are the game changers in terms of food security in their area. Photo: Supplied/Aisling Phillips

NC co-op becomes their town’s food source solution

by Tiisetso Manoko
20th July 2022
0

IT TAKES A VILLAGE: A group of women in Kenhardt became fed up when they had to travel long distances...

David Mthombeni is building an agriculture empire for his family.Photo: Supplied/Food For Mzansi

Farmer gets his hands dirty while building family empire

by Zolani Sinxo
24th June 2022
0

INSPIRATION: David Mthombeni and his family have experienced the bad and ugly of life, especially in apartheid South Africa. But...

Recipe: Butternut soup to go absolutely nuts for

by Noluthando Ngcakani
20th May 2022
0

The days are getting colder and darker so why not rustle up a warm and comforting soup? Chef Nelly Engelbrecht...

Next Post
Food For Mzansi's brand-new agricultural calendar is now available with events of interest to farmers and agripreneurs. Photo: Supplied

This week in agri: 8 to 14 February 2021

This week's Agri calendar features a wine and food event, an online discussion on biofilms the dairy industry and another on cutting fertiliser costs. There's also a livestock auction to look out for and an online event about soil. Include your event to the calendar by emailing info@foodformzansi.com. Photo: Supplied/Food For Mzansi
News

This week’s agriculture events: 15 to 18 August 2022

by Vateka Halile
15th August 2022
0

This week's event calendar starts off with a wine and food event, followed by an online discussion on biofilms in...

Read more
Andile Matukane, founder of Farmers Choice and Devroll Legodi, founder of Devroll Herbs, joined a recent session of Food For Mzansi’s Gather To Grow on twitter o discuss the cultivation of spring onions in Mzansi. Photo: Supplied/Food For Mzansi

Farmer 101: Top tips to grow spring onions

14th August 2022
This drone is collecting data which farmers can then access on the yield management platform. Photo: Supplied/Aerobotics

How the Internet of Things is transforming agri

13th August 2022
His life took a turn for the worst when he ended up in jail for dealing in drugs, but Thembinkosi Matika turned his life around and now helps others through his Legacy Farming Project. Photo: Supplied/Food For Mzansi

Drug dealer turned farmer ploughs back

12th August 2022
Beat the winter blues with yummy butter chicken

Beat the winter blues with yummy butter chicken

12th August 2022

Ecological farming the answer to food insecurity

Fruit farm shows there’s power in transformation

An avocado a day can keep the doctor away

Control and prevent downy mildew on crops

ICYMI: Mama Fifi determined to rise again

Drug dealer turned farmer ploughs back

THE NEW FACE OF SOUTH AFRICAN AGRICULTURE

With 12 global awards in the first three years of its existence, Food For Mzansi is much more than an agriculture publication. It is a movement, unashamedly saluting the unsung heroes of South African agriculture. We believe in the power of agriculture to promote nation building and social cohesion by telling stories that are often overlooked by broader society.

R350 grant puts sisters on agri path to success

Farmer support: KZN municipality leads the way

ICYMI: Below-normal winter rainfall to continue

This week’s agriculture events: 15 to 18 August 2022

Farmer 101: Top tips to grow spring onions

How the Internet of Things is transforming agri

  • Our Story
  • Contact Us
  • Cookie Policy
  • Privacy Policy
  • Copyright

Contact us
Office: +27 21 879 1824
News: info@foodformzansi.co.za
Advertising: sales@foodformzansi.co.za

No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • News
  • Changemakers
  • Lifestyle
  • Farmer’s Inside Track
  • Food for Thought

Copyright © 2021 Food for Mzansi

This website uses cookies. By continuing to use this website you are giving consent to cookies being used. Visit our Privacy and Cookie Policy.