By Buziwe Nocuze
- Zikhona Dungana says she now buys only chicken and canned food because red meat prices have risen so fast she can no longer afford even the specials.
- Eastern Cape farmer Avuzwa Mpateni says meat prices keep rising because farmers spend thousands each month to keep livestock healthy and ready for sale.
Zikhona Dungana is a mother of four who also cares for an elderly woman. She says she has given up on red meat because she simply cannot afford it anymore.
She shops at the Boxer supermarket in Lusikisiki where she tries to save money by buying grocery combos. She says the combos help but they still do not stretch far enough.
She says even vegetables are bought in combos because they cost less that way. She says she now depends on canned food and chicken. She says the chicken never lasts the family a full month.
Dungana says she once bought red meat on paydays, but those days are gone. says the price of red meat goes up every month. She says even when the supermarket advertises a special she still cannot pay for it.
She also has to cover other costs including R500 for funeral cover, R1,200 for rent and R200 for electricity each month.
Dungana says she only buys clothes for her children in June and December. She also has a stokvel and gets R10,000 in November which she uses to buy furniture for her home.
Meanwhile, cattle farmer Avuzwa Mpateni from Cala in the Eastern Cape says the rising costs faced by farmers play a major role in the increasing meat prices.
He says they spend more than R6,000 every month to maintain one cow. He says cows often get pneumonia and need medicine. He says they hire people to watch over the livestock and buy injections and other supplies. These costs can reach around R10,000. He says this is why meat prices are rising and he believes the price will not fall soon.
Mpateni says he charges from R12,500 to R15,000 for a cow. He says farming can be easy and difficult at the same time because farmers must spend money to produce good results. He says no one can expect to keep livestock without spending money on their care.
Pictured above: Red meat has become too pricey for the poor.
Image source: Facebook
