Processors in the market believe 
as the supply of potatoes is insufficient to meet the current demand.
Further price increases during December are possible.
Early season rains are still pending and dam levels are low, despite rains over the weekend countrywide.
Consequently, the lack of sufficient water for irrigation may impact negatively on yields.
Although forecasts for rainfall are very promising it still needs to play out as predicted.
Says Takadi, potato plantings in the eastern Free State need rain. Due to the uncertainty on the future outlook for rain some producers in the Highveld region limited their exposure to potato production by planting less.
Highlights:
Oilseeds
* The USDA has confirmed a record US soybean crop of 116 million tons.
* Globally, the shortage in palm oil prices supports vegetable prices worldwide.
*Domestically, the shortage of soybeans, sunflower seed and canola result in increased vegetable oil imports providing underlying support to old season sunflower seed and canola prices.
Fibre
* International cotton prices were supported over the past week by worries
over damage to the US crops from Hurricane Matthew and a cut by the USDA’s Wasde report to its estimate for domestic stocks. Decent US export sales data on Friday also boosted the cotton market.
* Continuation of the low global wool production trend support demand for the product.
Veggies
* Onion prices reached price levels of between R40 – R50/kg during the past
two weeks but declined to R35 – R40/kg.
*Carrot prices peaked during the past two weeks at R4/kg but since then prices decline to between R2.50 to R3.50/kg (1 kg prepack) as volumes is expected to remain high.
* Tomato prices increased the past week to a record R15/kg. In the near term it is expected that prices will decline as the new season harvesting of tomatoes will lead to an increase in volumes.
