No smashed avo for you - Woolworths confirms there is a shortage

The country will have to wait a bit longer for their avocado fix in the new year as Woolworths confirmed on Wednesday it is experiencing a shortage. 

The retail chain said that the shortage was due to a shift in harvesting times in KwaZulu-Natal. 

Woolworths also said South Africans could blame the shortage on lower volumes in the Eastern Cape and logistical delays in Tanzania.

"Our Eastern Cape farmers seeing lower volumes this year; and unexpected logistical delays which have affected avocados originating from Tanzania," the company said.

There is some good news as the grocer noted that new season harvests from Mozambique and Limpopo are almost ready and this will help mitigate some supply issues in the next few weeks. 

Woolworths told IOL that it was "aware of supply issues affecting the availability of avocados at Woolworths", but it would try its best to ensure South Africans get their fresh produce and emphasised that this was a "top priority".

"The good news is the new season harvests from our farmers in Mozambique and Limpopo are nearly ready and will ease supply constraints over the coming weeks. We are confident this will return our avocado supply levels to normal," Woolworths said.

No issues at Pick n Pay 

IOL Business reached out to other retailers to see if they too are experiencing a shortage.

Pick n Pay said that the current out-of-season period for avocados has led to supply issues due to several reasons but their stores have ensured consistent avocado availability. 

"Thanks to a strategic supply arrangement with growers in the Cape and KwaZulu-Natal regions. We will continue to secure stock for our customers until supply improves, which is expected by the end of January," according to the grocer. 

Food Security 

While avocados are not a necessity but a luxury the shortage is indicative of South Africa’s food security issue. 

According to the South African Food Security Index 2024, developed by two economists from the University of Stellenbosch, food security in SA, is at its lowest point in over a decade.

The Index evaluates four dimensions of food security, namely availability, access, utilisation and overall stability, from 2012 to 2023. It also creates a baseline to measure food security in South Africa yearly, using publicly available and annually updated data.

While South Africa peaked at 64.9 on the Index in 2019, this number dropped to 45.3 in 2023 (zero indicates severe food insecurity). 

It means that, on average, more South Africans experienced greater food insecurity in 2023, compared to any other year between 2012 and 2023.

IOL BUSINESS