South Africa: Could there be a potato shortage in the country in the coming months?

In a public statement, the management explained, "Due to a nationwide shortage of potatoes, you may notice limited availability or changes to our usual potato offerings. We understand this may be an inconvenience, and we sincerely appreciate your patience and understanding as we work through this issue with our suppliers."

But what exactly is happening? Are we facing a genuine potato shortage?

Agricultural economist, Wandile Sihlobo, confirmed to IOL that South Africans don’t have anything to worry about. "There is no shortage of potatoes in South Africa. Our supplies are healthy," said Sihlobo, adding that Potatoes SA agrees with the view.  

According to the latest statistics, potato stocks in various fresh produce markets indicate it’s still in good shape. 

Latest data showing potato stocks in various fresh produce markets.

 Last August to October, South Africans raised concerns about a potato shortage in the country, after consumers saw a noticeable rise in potato prices.

In January of this year, Willie Jacobs, the CEO of Potatoes SA, stated that while supply had decreased marginally and briefly, panic over a perceived shortage kept prices elevated.

Unlike many other countries, South Africa has multiple potato seasons throughout the year, allowing for continuous production. Furthermore, this production is distributed across 16 regions, ensuring a steady supply of potatoes year-round.

Golden dish announced that ithere will be changes due to what it called a nationwide outage.

Potatoes SA has cautioned consumers not to be concerned about supply as a result of the heatwaves that the country experienced. Potatoes SA said panic is directly linked to the increase in prices and disrupts trade.

It’s also worth noting that supply traditionally dips between April and August, because up to 80% of South Africa’s potatoes are obtained from Limpopo. So any production issues in this region during this period hurt supply and therefore price.

According to Potatoes SA, potatoes rank among the five primary food crops globally. South Africa stands as one of the largest potato producers in Africa, with an average cultivation area of approximately 51 572ha over the past five years. This results in a yield exceeding 107 million 10kg bags sold in the South African fresh produce markets.

The average per capita potato consumption in South Africa currently stands at 37 kg, and our objective is to elevate this figure to over 40kg in the coming years.