By Buziwe Nocuze
- A butternut farmer explains how rising costs have pushed prices up, nearly doubling the price of a 7kg bag since 2017.
- A regular shopper says she now only buys butternut on special occasions because it’s no longer affordable for everyday meals.
Sibusiso Mabena is a butternut farmer from the Eastern Cape. He plants his crop in October and sells it in January, when butternut is in season.
“When I started farming in 2017, I sold a 7kg bag for R30,” Mabena said. “Now I charge between R50 and R65.”
He said the increase is caused by rising production costs. Mabena now pays R160 for 400 seedlings, compared to R50 a few years ago. Fertiliser costs him R900 a bag, hiring a tractor costs R2,800, and he has three workers to pay.
To protect his crop from insects, he also spends R418 on 20 litres of fungicide.
Mabena said prices also change depending on the season. Butternut is cheaper from spring to summer, but becomes more expensive in winter when it is out of season.
“Some customers think we are just charging too much,” he said. “But we don’t decide these prices for fun. The costs we pay force us to increase them.”
His customers include retail shops and hawkers. Mabena said he warns them before prices go up, so they can explain the increases to their own customers.
He does not believe prices will ever drop significantly.
“Bread used to cost R5, now it’s more than R20,” he said. “Just like bread, butternut will not go back down.”
For customer Nokulunga Nkintana, the higher price has changed how often she buys butternut.
“I only buy it on special occasions now,” she said. “Sometimes when I have visitors, or on certain Sundays when I cook a full meal. I like it, but I can’t keep up with the price anymore.”
Pictured above: Butternut.
Image source: Pexels
