The lorries are back! We noticed an increase amount potato lorries that throng Mbare Musika after a few weeks in which there were missing in action. Just after Christmas, we noticed a sharp decline in potato and tomato supplies at the vegetable market. The decline in supply resulted in a sharp increase in the prices of these two commodities. However, with improving supplies prices have gone down again slightly for tomatoes which are still in short supply and back to pre-December levels for potatoes.
Not only were tomatoes expensive last week. There were practically nonexistent on the market with only a few blighted “sandaks” available. A dish was going for US$3.50 instead of the usual US$1 despite the drop in quality. Now the same dish is going for US$1.50 less than half the price from a week ago. For higher quality grades the price per dish is now $2-2.50 while a small wooden box is going for US$4.00. The standard “sandak” crates are going for US$12 instead of almost US$ 20. Supplies are still low but improving.
There is even better news for those who love fresh chips and potatoes. The price of a 15kg packet of potatoes is now hovering around the US$8-US$9 mark for large potatoes. Medium-sized potatoes pockets are going for US$7. The competition between sellers is fierce again with most offering on-spot discounts depending on how much customers are there and how much you want to buy.
Thank u for this information it helps farmers to plan well, so may I ask a question:
So how much was the price of tomatoes in January and February
In January the price was around 1-2 per small box.