Dilapidated markets, loadsheddding, undriveable roads, and high health and safety compliance costs have been listed as reasons for the lack of transformation in South Africa’s fresh produce industry.
The Competition Commission released its Fresh Produce Market Inquiry (FPMI) provisional report on the state of the fresh produce industry in midJune after a 14-month investigation. The purpose was to examine whether competition in the market was being restricted and whether historically disadvantaged persons (HDPs) and small-scale producers were being purposely kept off the playing field.
While the report provides recommendations to address identified issues, it lacks concrete solutions to tackle the systemic problems at the root of the issues. Instead, it lists recommendations that largely focus on forcing the
