South Africa: There is no potato shortage but load shedding is making food production harder

Published Jan 25, 2023

Tridge summary

The International Trade Administration Commission (ITAC) imposed duties on French fries imports from Belgium, Germany, and the Netherlands in July, sparking concerns about a potential shortage in South Africa. However, the country's own potato supply is deemed sufficient, with 16 production regions ensuring a consistent supply to fresh produce markets. Despite this, South African potato producers face challenges such as load shedding and cheap imports, with Potatoes SA emphasizing the need to protect the local industry and maintain high food quality. These import duties are aimed at safeguarding local producers from cheap, low-quality potatoes and preventing surges in illicit trading, underscoring the importance of local production and the need to prioritize the agricultural sector.

Disclaimer:The above summary was generated by Tridge's proprietary AI model for informational purposes.

Original content

…by the International Trade Administration Commission (ITAC) in July last year on Belgium, German and Dutch suppliers. When the duties were announced there was concern that South Africans could face a severe shortage of French fries as it curbed imports from its usual European frozen chip markets. Story continues below Advertisement But Potatoes SA acting marketing manager, Jaco Koekemoer, said the country has a sufficient supply of fresh potatoes, with forecasts looking promising over the next 12 months. Koekemoer said: “There is ample produce to meet frozen chip manufacturing demand, and satisfy customer and retail appetites. What's more, there are 16 potato production regions across South Africa, and a continuous supply of potatoes is delivered to fresh produce markets on a daily basis.” However, Koekemore said the major challenge facing potato producers was load shedding and it's disruption of food production, as well as cheap imports. More on this R654 million worth of SA ...

Source: Argenpapa