You could pay more for your Rooibos tea
South Africa’s worst drought in the past two decades is set to cause a devastating decline in Rooibos output next year, which could see the price of the tea rise by as much as 90%.
According to the South African Rooibos Council’s Ernest du Toit, the product - which is only grown in the Cederberg and Bokkeveld regions on the Western Cape - is becoming very popular.
"Last year, the Rooibos crop was 11 000 tons but 15 000 tons were sold. So, it was 4000 tons out of stock. Sadly, the stock is being depleted and with the drought and the failure of certain crops this year, the likelihood is that the crop will be less than 11 000 tons.
"This is not good news for the consumer because the consumer is going to see a shortage and see the price escalate very, very significantly," he said.
Du Toit says apart from Rooibos being used as a beverage, it is also arguably regarded as best anti-allergy and anti-oxidant in the world.
It is also said to have anti-diabetic and anti-stress properties.
(Photo: Wikipedia)