- Miranda Sofika pays R1,800 for soil prep, R1,800 for ploughing, R4,500+ for planting labor, and R1,000 for fertiliser per crop.
- Water pump fuel costs jumped from R1,000 to R1,800, while cabbage and spinach prices rose as customers struggled to afford their January staple.
Miranda Sofika, a farmer in Port St John's, Eastern Cape, started farming in 2020 just before the Covid-19 lockdown and specializes in fresh vegetable production.
Since then, the cabbage price has increased because of many factors, including tax, inflation, and the money spent on production.
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"A year ago, cabbage was costing R10, but now it costs R15. A bag was costing R64 to R150, but those who buy in bulk, like 50 bags, we sell it for R70. If a person buys one bag, we charge R90. With delivery, it's R100," said Sofika.
Planting vegetables needs money. She pays for manure, fuel for a water pump, and cabbage crops.
"I am paying R1,800 for soil preparation and another R1,800 for ploughing. When planting, I hire people who plant for over five days, paying them more than R4,500," said Sofika.
Other costs include Lan fertilizer, which costs R1,000 for a 50kg bag.
"We have a spraying program to fight insects. We use insecticide and fungicide. Spraying is done every 7 days in summer and every 14 days in winter. There's also the petrol price that keeps going up, meaning transportation costs increase," said Sofika.
Last year, a bunch of spinach cost between R8.50 and R10, but now it costs R10 to R15.
Last year, she was using R1,000 for water pump fuel, but now she is paying R1,800.
"The only thing that might help decrease the prices is if we grow food locally and sell it locally. I think that's the approach that can help," said Sofika.
Mandisa Siyolo used to buy a bag of cabbage so it could last for a while, but she has stopped doing that because of high prices.
"We are paying more than R25 for cabbage from the vendors. Even at the retail stores, it is expensive. Sometimes you leave the vendors thinking you will find it cheaper at the shops, only to find out they are expensive or the difference is only R2," said Siyolo.
She loved cabbage because when everything is finished in January, they have it and cook it with every meal.
"Cabbage was something we had in January because it was the cheapest thing we could afford after spending money during Christmas. But that's not the same anymore. We struggle to get money to buy it," said Siyolo.
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