The price of vegetables have been creeping up in markets across the country but don't blame government's national food hamper drive, says Namdevco.
As more people are forced to remain at home during a state of emergency and curfew and the closure of restaurants, roadside vendors, the demand for fresh produce has increased.
Sunday Newsday visited several markets during the week to get an idea of the prices and to also get an insight into the reasons for the increases.
The wholesale market prices listed at the Norris Deonarine Northern Wholesale Market in Macoya showed increases in the price of local yam, celery, chive, hot pepper, melongene, sweet pepper, tomato, carailli, christophene and orange.
Retail vendors at the National Agricultural Marketing and Development Corporation (Namdevco) market in Debe said since the state of emergency went into effect last Sunday, their sales have plummeted.
[caption id="attachment_891268" align="alignnone" width="1024"] CEO at the UWI Arthur Lok Jack Global School of Business Mariano Browne looks at some produce at the Norris Deonarine Northern Wholesale Market, Macoya. - AYANNA KINSALE[/caption]
Reanna Bisnath who purchases goods from wholesalers said believed the price increases were due to the covid19 pandemic and accessibility to goods from farmers.
“I suspect this is happening because of the restrictions but I do not understand it because there isn’t a food shortage in the country.
“I had to cut down on my supply and it is not making any sense for me at this time. The profits are small, and, on some days, there is no profit at all. Sometimes the capital I put out; I don’t make it back,” she said.
Bisnath’s prices on Wednesday were as follows: $15 per pound for sweet pepper, $10 per pound for carailli and bodi, $5 per pound for cucumber, $10 per pound for melongene and $12 per pound for cabbage.
Roger Chaitram, a vendor at the Chaguanas market, had similar prices as Bisnath. He said he was struggling to get goods off his table before they started rotting.
[caption id="attachment_891264" align="alignnone" width="1024"] Shoppers look for bargains at the Tunapuna Market. - AYANNA KINSALE[/caption]
“Because a lot of people are not out and with increases it is harder to sell. There are days where I have to sell at such a low price that I don’t make anything, but I have to get it off my hands.
“It is hard watching the goods rot, so I just have to sell it off,” Chaitram said.
A wholesale vendor, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, told Sunday Newsday that their prices increased because Namdevco was paying significantly more for the goods from farmers in the food hamper programme by government to assist struggling families.
He claimed that such trade-off has forced all round increase in prices for everyone as the farmers preferred to sell to Namdevco if their prices were not met.
“The prices are too high, and all of this is because of Namdevco. So, when they
