KULANI SIWEYA: Food inflation set to soar unless urgent interventions are made
Infrastructure backlogs, transport, load-shedding and fuel issues must be tackled
SA farmers face many significant production challenges, accompanied by steep rising input cost pressures. In this fiscally constrained space the cost of producing food has soared and is reflected in the price consumers see on the shelves, despite the fact that farmers are price takers. Without action to make business easier and inputs more affordable where possible, food inflation will continue to put pressure on SA households, many of which are already at breaking point.
Food prices have continued to rise over the course of 2023. Recent headlines focused on the positive news from Stats SA that CPI headline inflation slowed to 4.7% year on year for July, but this does not give the full picture of what consumers are facing when it comes to putting food on the table. According to the most recent data, inflation for food and nonalcoholic beverages increased 9.9% year on year in July. And the reality is that the increase in July is slight compared to previous months — the fi...
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