SHORTAGE OF FRENCH FRIES IN SA DUE TO LOADSHEDDING

If you love good old French fries and you haven’t been able to get some at your local store, you can blame loadshedding.

McCain, one of the largest producers of frozen French fries in the country, has said that it’s unable to process the potato product at the usual capacity because of the interruption in the electricity supply.

Loadshedding has been blamed for several woes experienced in the economy all the way from planting seeds to distributing the final product. The local economy is taking strain as it’s under even more pressure to perform with an interrupted supply of electricity.

McCain supplies large fast-food chains and restaurants, as well as retailers for home use.

Willie Jacobs, the CEO of Potatoes SA, has said that it’s not a case of not having enough potatoes, but rather the process of turning potatoes into frozen French fries that are being haltered by loadshedding.

“There are enough potatoes to meet local demand as SA had normal yields during this production season.”

According to Jacobs, the potato industry is estimated to contribute at least R6.6 billion to South Africa’s economy and contributes 30% to 50% of the fresh produce turnover in the country.

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