The Competition Commission has noted a rise in sales of canned pilchards as consumers seek alternative sources of protein amid inflation pressures and energy insecurity.
The Essential Food Price Monitoring Report by the Competition Commission shows that prices on various food items are beginning to come down despite various challenges.
These include persistent load shedding, rail and ports constraints and global supply disruption resulting from the conflict in the Red Sea. An Economist at the Competition Commission, Kagiso Zwane, presented the findings of the Essential Food Price Monitoring Report in Pretoria.
"The price of canned pilchards has increased slightly more than the price of chicken. Beef is the most expensive source of protein, then pilchards, chicken and eggs. Dried beans are the cheapest source of protein by far. We saw that the major producers of canned pilchards reported increases in volume. There are clearly other benefits that consumers think are more relevant for their decisions. Some of those include that theyre easily stored and dont require refrigeration. In the past inflation went up when load shedding went up.
Cost of Living | Consumers turning to cheaper alternative foods:
