[imagesource: Philip Fong / AFP via Getty Images]

COVID-19 has done strange things to society as we know it.

Remember when we were seeing videos of people fighting over toilet paper in supermarket aisles?

Next thing you know booze sales are outlawed and you’re stabbing a man over a pineapple so that you can make your homebrewed beer, or you’re whipping off your undies to use as a mask.

I can’t wait to tell future generations that we were banned from buying Woolies roast chickens. “You kids don’t know how easy you have it” and all that jazz.

As it stands, we’re actually looking at another panic buying situation – cooking oil. Here’s EWN:

The knock-on effect of the Russian invasion of Ukraine can be seen in South African supermarkets through the raised price of cooking oil.

The war has wreaked havoc on the supply of sunflower oil to the point that some retailers, such as Woolworths and Pick n Pay, are now imposing per customer limits on the product to prevent panic buying.

There was no way to hide the fact that you were buying 48 rolls of loo paper. Perhaps consumers will get crafty when it comes to sneaking extra cooking oil past the cashiers.

Morne Botes, the commercial director at Southern Oil, says there are other factors in play:

The demand for sunflower oil has also been affected by international behaviour as Indonesia has banned all palm exports for the time being, which means palm oil cannot be used as a substitute.

If it’s not the oil you chuck in the car surging in price, it’s cooking oil. Is there no end to our suffering?

Right, take a few deep breaths would-be panic buyers and listen closely. Botes clearly states that “if we don’t panic buy then there will be sufficient stock for us locally. We produce 70% of our own oil and 30% is imported.”

Buy what you need, and move along. Failing that, there are also alternatives you can use to cook, bake, and fry your food.

Step away from the cooking oil, Karen, take those extra bottles out of your trolley, and we can forget this ever happened.

[source:ewn]