Mixed fortunes in Zimbabwe’s agriculture market

Zimbabwe’s agriculture commodities market is navigating mixed fortunes amid currency volatility, impacting the availability and affordability of basic products. The country’s open air vegetable markets, a barometer for the agriculture sector’s performance, offer insights into commodity availability and pricing. These markets, where agriculture produce is traditionally available year-round, have seen shortages due to diminished commercial agriculture production. The scarcity of commodities such as onions, tomatoes, and potatoes during what was once a thriving winter cropping season has raised concerns over the long-term production of staple agriculture commodities. Surprisingly, even with Zimbabwe’s history of basic commodity shortages, the scarcity of green produce has caught many consumers off guard. Shortages have led to basics like tomatoes and onions costing more than double their regular price, attributed not directly to inflation, but to farmgate shortages. Supermarkets, ...