A vegetable we cannot get tired off ! Day in and day out, we crave our daily spud !
Through the medium of the esteemed Newcastle Advertiser, I express my disappointment and sadness in the way people are being ripped off with regards to our beloved Up to Date Potato.
The UTD is a must and vital requirement in almost every home! A delicious mutton or lamb curry is not complete without the correct type of potato, Gravy Soakers. Some homes consume these potatoes daily in various forms, either fried, shaadiwale and in samoosas too.
Since the commencement of the drought and the weak Rand, people are being ripped off, be it in the price of a bag or the quality of the UTD.
I remember years ago, the price of a 15-kilogram sack of potatoes was R7.50. Many retailers now gharge R160 for 10 kilograms.
A pocket now marked as UTD is being mixed with all types of B1, Mondial and whatever grades of spuds.
Consumers need to be wary when purchasing pockets tied with wire, since those pockets are most suspect and defintely mixed. I will wholeheartedly purchase an authentic pocket of UTD for R100, but not for some mixed bag.
The Potato Board, similar to the once existing Meat Board, Egg Board, Maize Board and the various Boards of Yore, are not around to monitor these producers and retailers, so there is no price control. Suppliers coming from out of town are exploiting the consumers of Newcastle with their sky-high prices.
It was further reported in the media that the price of potatoes has decreased, but no retailers are showing a price drop. I am still waiting and watching.
Aloo Walla
