Potato prices in South Africa could rise due to frost damage

South African consumers might have to pay more for potatoes due to recent frost damage as the harvest season gets under way next month.

The industry lost 25 000 tons of potatoes during the mid-June cold snap.

But Potatoes South Africa said the upward adjustment of prices will only be determined by the supply and demand dynamics during the three-month harvest period.

The price increases are a direct consequence of the effects of the cold winter spell on the crops.

During the month of June 2010, 6 276 tons of tomatoes were sold, which represents a drop of around 34.8 percent compared to the same month last year.