Black frost devastates Limpopo farmers, threatens potato prices

By Sinenhlanhla Mncwango |10 July 2024 | 7:57 pm

Limpopo farmers face significant financial setbacks following a severe black frost that struck over the weekend, causing extensive damage to crops across the province.

This weather event has been described as one of the worst instances of frost in recent history, with widespread impacts on potato, tomato, and citrus farms.

CT van der Merwe, a potato farmer from Dendron, detailed the extent of the damage, noting that most farmers in the region were affected.

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“The frost was widespread, one of the worst conditions of frost we’ve had for a very long time. I think there is not a single farmer that was not affected, and we experienced it ourselves as well,” Van der Merwe said.

He said approximately 30% of his potato crops were damaged, with the yield expected to decrease and the size of the potatoes to be smaller. He expressed hope that market dynamics might offset some of the financial impacts, saying his financial losses would depend on the potato price after the harvest season.

Deidre Carter, CEO of Agri Limpopo, confirmed the widespread damage to crops to Farmer’s Weekly. She explained that the cold front in Limpopo over the weekend did indeed affect many farmers in the province.

“The cold front also affected tomato and citrus farmers. Farmers in Loskop experienced a lot of damage to their crops,” Carter stated.

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Carter highlighted the severity of the situation, noting that temperatures were predicted to as low as -5°C on Sunday morning, with additional cold weather expected on the following days.

Carter elaborated on the financial implications for farmers, emphasising that once crops were damaged by frost, their usability could be severely compromised.

“When produce freezes, you can’t even use it for juice,” she explained.

FP Coetzee, manager of information and regional services at Potato South Africa, said the organisation was currently assessing the full impact of the frost damage.

“It is a bit too early to say; we are currently doing a survey to get to the right calculations,” Coetzee said.

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He noted that the frost primarily affected potato crops planted in March and April, which could lead to an influx of smaller and medium-sized potatoes in the market. He added that the effect on yield would be negative, but could not yet confirm to what extent.

Regarding potential price increases, Coetzee said: “The price of potatoes could increase because of frost damage. However, yield is not the only determining factor