Drought in Swaziland has led to a startling 30 percent increase in vegetable prices on local markets; prices are expected to soar even higher in the coming months, which could have a crippling effect on the food industry, affecting farmers and vendors who are trying to make a living in the streets.
National Agricultural Marketing Board (NAMBoard) Marketing Manager Thami Dlamini said as some parts of the country have been experiencing water shortages, the drought had a huge financial impact on farmers, resulting in many struggling to meet their targets, thereby making losses.
“The situation is expected to worsen as most farmers usually produce vegetables in winter using water that has been accumulated throughout the summer. The ongoing heat wave adds to the drought woes and that is why we are anticipating a further rapid price increase,” he said.
He said the most contributing factor was that due to low production of vegetables in Swaziland the country is depending on South Africa. Unfortunately the Republic has also experienced a production decrease of about 50 percent.
Dlamini said some produce such as lettuce and cabbage were already scarce and nearly obsolete in the market.
According to him the vegetable price increase will also affect vendors who are trying to make a living in the streets, as they will have to increase their prices, which might in turn cause consumers to bypass the higher prices by using substitutes in their meal preparations.
Source: observer.org.sz
