Grapevine

Potato prices spike 15% in a week after black frost hits Limpopo crop

South African potato prices have jumped 15% on average over the past week, data from an industry group showed on Wednesday, after black frost destroyed crops and tightened supplies in Limpopo province, a major producing region.

Potatoes are a major starchy staple in South Africa, alongside maize meal and bread. The country produced 2.4 million tons of potatoes in 2023, making it the third-biggest producer in Africa, after Egypt and Algeria.

Average national prices jumped 15% in the week to 28 August, data from Potatoes SA showed. The average price of 10 kg of potatoes was R85.31 on Wednesday, up from R74.24 a week ago. Sharper price increases were recorded in Nelspruit and Cape Town, where a bag of potatoes is selling for almost R100.

Prices started rising sharply above the seasonal average during the last two weeks of July, according to the data.