The latest Household Affordability Index by the Pietermaritzburg Economic Justice & Dignity group shows that food prices continued to climb in May 2022.in May 2022. Month-on-month, the average cost of the basket increased by R66.96 , from R4,542.93 in April 2022.The year-on-year increase outstrips headline inflation by quite a large margin, and even food inflation tracked by Stats SA. The latestshows that headline inflation is 5.9%, and food inflation was recorded at 6.2%.
These factors include Covid-19; the Russia/Ukraine conflict; local climatic disasters such as the recent flooding in Kwa Zulu Natal; and social unrest and general daily protests – which disrupt logistics and production. “Our over-exposure to global supply lines suggests that we need to build national capacity and reserves as an immediate and long-term mitigation strategy, including investing more in local agricultural input capacity, and smallscale farmers to produce food closer to the table where it is consumed.