south africa's potato starch market is projected to witness robust growth during the forecast period of 2018 to 2032, owing to a number of factors. the country has abundant potato cultivation, and potato starch is a major output of potato processing. the potato starch market in the country is driven by the food and beverage industry. in addition, the growing demand for potato starch as a substitute for wheat flour in the baking industry is also likely to propel the growth of the market. furthermore, the increasing demand for convenience and health- conscious food products has created the need for food ingredients which serve the purpose of texturization, stabilization, non-knead doughs, thickeners, and fermenting agents, and potato starch is the ideal solution. as people become more aware about the health benefits of potato starch, its demand is anticipated to grow in the coming years. innovation in the processing of potatoes can also boost the demand for the product. the growing convenience food industry is likely to drive the growth of the potato starch market in south africa. in order to meet the growing demand, south africa has increased its potato production in the past. according to a report by statistics south africa, the total potato production in 2017 reached 868,000 tons, up 3.6 percent from 836,000 tons in 2016. this increasing supply is expected to lower the product prices in the market and provide an impetus to the potato starch market. furthermore, the market is expected to receive a boost due to the various initiatives taken by the government, such as tax rebates and subsidies. the government has provided incentives to encourage investments in the processing industry of potatoes. this is likely to to attract more producers and facilitate the expansion of the potato starch market in the country. overall, the favorable government initiatives, increasing demand for convenience and health foods, and rising potato production are likely to propel the growth of the south african potato starch market during the forecast period.
