Notices / Reports
Potatoes SA anticipates more "normal" growing conditions─── SABRINA DEAN 13:39 Fri, 10 Feb 2017
Pretoria - Although 15% less potatoes were sold at the country’s fresh produce markets in 2016 compared to 2015, market prices were at times 65% higher than the corresponding period.
The latest Potatoes SA market comment report reveals that the drought and high temperatures negatively affected yield in most production regions last year. Lower supply in turn drove higher prices.
Looking at hectares under production, these seemingly continue to decline. About 1 200 less hectares were planted in 2016 than in 2015. This is expected to decrease again slightly this year. To date, information is available for 30 000 hectares.
The industry body says it is anticipating “normal” growing conditions this year but has warned of risks such as hail, early frost and conditions that are too wet, which could result in decay of potatoes.
The latest report is available here:
20170210 Potatoes SA Market Comment Jan 2017.pdf
Meanwhile Potatoes SA last month announced that the Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries has granted a permissible deviation in the selling of class 2 potatoes. The permissible deviation for medium, large/medium and large potatoes has been relaxed from 15% to 25%.
- OFM News
