Bigger crops of potatoes and onions reached South Africa's fresh produce markets in the first half of 2026, with sharply different results. Potato volumes rose 8% to 66.55 million 10kg bags by mid-season, and onion volumes 10% to 24.61 million bags, putting potatoes 2.46 million bags and onions 1.81 million bags above their five-year averages, according to Absa's AgriTrends 2026 spring edition.

For potatoes the extra supply came at the expense of value. Absa estimates the total value of potato sales on the fresh produce markets fell about 12%, from R3.69 billion in 2025 to R3.25 billion in 2026, despite higher volumes. FP Coetzee, manager of information and regional services at Potatoes SA, said North West had an oversupply of large potatoes in the first half, while some potatoes meant for processing were diverted to the fresh markets. "The result was a combination of higher overall volumes, poorer quality and an oversupply of a specific size category, all putting pressure on prices," he said.

Prices recovered in winter to an average of R64.34 per 10kg bag, against a year-to-date average of R48.76, but are now moving sideways despite stocks falling from about 820,000 bags to 688,000 bags over the past eight weeks. Class 1 potatoes make up only 70% of supply rather than more than 80%, and Coetzee said produce is moving through the markets more slowly, possibly because of the large number of foreigners who left the country a few months ago, while more table potatoes may be sold directly to buyers.

His advice to growers is to manage quality, sizing and stock rather than chase prices: size potatoes correctly, avoid flooding the market so that new deliveries compete with their own older stock, and consider delivering from Monday to Thursday to help stock rotation. Sending the best potatoes to direct buyers and the rest to the fresh markets would still drag down market prices, he warned, and direct-sale prices are derived from those.

Onions have so far absorbed the extra volume. The average onion price rose 8% to R72.34 per 10kg bag from R66.93 in 2025, which Absa reads as supply and demand staying better aligned rather than a sharp rise in demand. North West onion deliveries almost doubled, Limpopo's rose 14.8% and Sandveld's fell almost 20%. The contrast, the report says, shows that producing more does not necessarily mean earning more. The report was written by Glenneis Kriel.

Photo: Philippus Jacobus Steyn / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)

Source: Farmers Weekly South Africa