Health-conscious consumers drive up fresh produce prices
Market trends can be fleeting, and any business would be remiss were it to change direction and invest in fads without a clear idea about the longevity of the public’s interest. This is especially true of agriculture, where return on investment is often realised years into the future.
Amongst the changes in economic activity seen over the past few months as a result of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) lockdown has been a noticeable increase in the consumption of fresh produce. Upon closer inspection, however, it appears that demand for certain fresh produce items has been increasing for quite some time, as consumers re-evaluate their eating habits and make permanent changes (see table and graph).
‘THERE IS AN INTERNATIONAL MOVE TOWARDS SO-CALLED SUPERFOODS’
However, contrary to the laws of supply and demand, which normally see the price of a product going down as supply increases and vice versa, most of
