Following the hail that badly affected vegetable farmers in the Tarlton (west of Johannesburg) area more than a week ago, lettuce prices in Gauteng have roughly doubled since last week. “There was quite extensive damage in the Tarlton area,” a market agent at the Johannesburg fresh produce market says, “particularly on lettuce in openland production. In Tarlton lettuce under netting was less affected, even though there was some damage to the netting, but it saved the crop.”
He continues: “There is still a fair amount of lettuce available. The Germiston area [on the East Rand of Johannesburg] where there’s vegetable production wasn’t affected, nor most of the Brits area.” Bapsfontein, east of Pretoria, where a tornado caused some damage, is also still able to supply lettuce.
Lettuce now sells for R10 to R12 a head, compared to R6 or R7 per head last week. There’s the possibility of prices as high as R15 a head by next week.
Natal of Storms
The South Coast of KwaZulu-Natal was hit by severe storms last week which claimed a number of lives. A bit inland from the coast, in the Tala Valley and around Richmond, there was hail damage to vegetable lands. The effect on vegetable prices in the province isn’t significant yet but it is expected that recent slack prices on leafy vegetables could pick up.
The impact of volumes on the fresh produce markets thus far hasn’t been significant. Market agents in KwaZulu-Natal tell FreshPlaza they had actually expected a bigger impact on volumes.
Most affected on the South Coast were greenbeans, broccoli, cauliflower and lettuce plants, the latter particularly showing water and wind damage on mature plants. Younger plants could perhaps pull through without too much damage.However, the true effect will be felt towards the Christmas period as a result of hail damage to plants currently at seedling stage.
Vegetable farmers close to Richmond, were hit by a hailstorm last Sunday night which caused extensive damage to crops, particularly lettuce and spinach. Further inland and northwards farmers were spared the effects of the severe weather.
Carl Gathmann of VegWorx, near Greytown, north of the Richmond area, is relieved to have suffered no damage to his brassica plantings.
Indeed, as one farmer in the Richmond area remarks, “vegetable farming is like playing at a casino.”