Why is there no dhania in Durban?
DURBAN has been facing more than just extreme weather, load shedding and water shedding. For the past few weeks, the city has also been experiencing a shortage of dhania.
Many locals have been struggling to come to terms with not only the lack of dhania but the extremely high prices and bad quality of the herb that is currently available.
Peter Naicker, owner of Redhill Farm in Seatides, North Coast, has been in the agricultural industry for many years. Before the Covid-19 pandemic, Naicker had a thriving business which used to supply some major supermarkets.
“I’m sure every farmer knows that the shortage we’re having at the moment is normal. The heat is a factor and so is the lack of maintenance.
“Farms that plant their dhania during December and then shut down for Christmas are the ones struggling with bad crops at the moment. When those farms shut down, there’s no one there to take care of the crops and hence the dhania produced is of bad quality.
“Another factor is that Seatides is not good during summer. It’s very hot. The dhania melts, dries and dies. We try our best to use the best compost and we plant on new grounds each time, but sometimes it’s not possible.
“A few weeks ago I was able to sell 500 bunches of dhania, but last week, with the extreme heat, my crop could not be salvaged and I didn’t sell any dhania, so I’m one week without dhania.
“Heavy rains also cause problems for the crops – they drown in excess water. Dhania can’t have too much water but they can’t have less, either. You have to get the science right in order to produce large amounts. All my dhania crops from last week were wasted,” he said.
Naicker sells to many local vendors: “I sell at Verulam market, the people who buy from me sell at Bangladesh Market and Reservoir Hills Market. I also have a farm stall market every Tuesday in Seatides for the local residents.
“At normal times I sell dhania for R50 a dozen or R5 a bunch, but for this period I sell at R200 a dozen or R20 a bunch. I have to charge the same as others because I have to cover my costs. Even at R20, I still don’t make a profit.
“My crop for the coming week is looking good and I’ll be able to sell it.
“Actually, the dhania shortage starts in December, because that’s when the heat starts. Normally I produce 2 000 to 5 000 bunches of dhania. From December to February/March I can only produce around 500 bunches.
“The next crop will be good because the weather will cool as we get closer to April. Production gets better, so we get to recover the profits we lost in the period of December to February,” said Naicker.
Another farm is owned by Krish Naidu and Balamaine Govender, on South Beach Road in La Mercy. The couple have been in the farming business for more than 25 years and are contracted to the Shoprite warehouse in Canelands, Verulam.
Naidu said: “I grow many vegetables – dhania is one of my crops. Something that many fail to understand is that dhania is a winter crop. It only grows well during the cold seasons. So our main time to grow is from April to November.
“December to March is the hot season, so growing is difficult, which is why the public will see a hike in prices. I usually supply 1 200 to 2 000 bunches of dhania a week to Shoprite. I somehow managed to grow the dhania over these past few weeks. I’ve not seen a drop in my crops. I have a steady flow of crops, so even if some don’t do well, I still have my next batch.
“During this time, we as farmers take note of the shortage and quality of dhania being produced. This is why our fellow farmers will come together and help each other out. This way we all get to make some profit. Dhania seeds are expensive – they germinate and pop up but then the heat burns it,” said Naidu.
He said weather played a vital role in growing dhania.
“The main reasons for the dhania shortage are climate conditions and soil structure. There are not enough micronutrients in the soil.
“But the biggest problem is that dhania cannot withstand the heat. It’s a soft-leaf plant, too much heat wilts the leaves. The climate change makes dhania scarce. The irony is that dhania can’t grow in shaded areas, but can’t be left in the boiling sun either.”
Naidu said he was disappointed with the progress of his recent crop that was affected by the heat.
“I spend R3 500 for a 20kg bag of seeds, so when it fails to grow, it’s a huge loss for me. It takes six to eight weeks for the seed to germinate and every two weeks we plant a new set of crops so we have a steady flow of produce.”
Despite the crop growth challenges, Naidu said he has had no complaints about the quality of his dhania. “It goes through my stringent checking. So all my bunches of dhania were of good quality even through the hot weather.”
John Gancalves, the manager at Ballito Food Lover’s Market, said: “The shortage of dhania at this time of the year is a normal occurrence. The heat in February and excessive rain we experience causes the scarcity of dhania.
“We did see a slight shortage in our dhania, but we will also sell more dhania than other stores because we have dhania to sell while they don’t have any. We’re selling good quality dhania at R20 a bunch.”