See PODCAST below

This week’s issue of Farmer’s Weekly takes a look at the garlic industry. Ryan explains that the industry’s troubles have returned after experiencing a glimmer of hope during the hard lockdown due to Covid-19. She says that during the previous two years, garlic reached unprecedented prices with a kilogram (kg) garlic costing up to R100. However, prices have returned to pre-Covid-19 price levels to about R21 per kg.

One of the problems that the industry is facing is low prices – farmers cannot compete with imported garlic prices. This is primarily why many of the farmers are leaving the industry.

Also Read: Price of ginger skyrockets

This issue also takes a look at the recent Grain SA congress during which the profitability of South African maize growers, as well as other challenges in the industry, were discussed.

Ryan says that the recent spike in input prices was one of the main topics at the congress, which, according to Grain SA, was compromising the profitability of maize farmers in South Africa. Government was also called upon to take cognisance of the fact that the increase in the input process could result in an alarming decrease in maize production, increase in prices and food insecurity. This as consumers are also under financial pressure.

Fertilizer prices were also an important issue that was discussed during the congress as farmers were unhappy with the poor performance of Foskor - the local producer of phosphate and phosphoric acid in the country.

According to Grain SA South Africa imported about 300 000 tons of mono ammonium phosphate (MAP) a year. This was despite Foskor having the capacity to produce 400 000 tons a year.

In 2021, Foskor only produced 195 000 tons for the year. Ryan says the company has been producing a lot less than what they have the capacity for. MAP is currently the fourth most expensive fertilizer in the country and the Russia-Ukraine conflict has seen a rise in fertilizer prices over the past few weeks.

Another story sheds some light on avocado production in South Africa and how heavy rainfall has dampened the outlook for the country’s avocado production this year.

Ryan adds that heavy rainfall at the end of November last year has taken away any gains the industry was hoping to achieve with many new avocado trees that came into production.

OFM News