TURNING THE TABLE
Why you are forking out more for butter and meat
Decoding SA’s soaring prices
Consumers needing a bit of butter to make their batter better are having to pay a heavy price for this dairy luxury. Butter prices have risen over 30% since January 2016. But those hoping to find comfort in a meat binge will also be disappointed, as prices have risen about 17% over the same period. The spike in the butter price has been attributed to changing consumer habits as well as the ongoing drought in the Western Cape — about 50% of all milk in SA is produced in the Eastern and Western Cape, and water is one of the most important inputs in dairy production. On the other hand consumers have been opting for full-cream and full-fat products, which has left less cream for butter production. And the proverbial cherry on top is that winter is generally a low-production time for dairy cows. Viccy Baker, founder of independent consumer website Retail Price Watch — which tracks the prices of household goods in SA — says the biggest price increases in butter occurred during 2016. "Whil...
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