Some vegetable prices have decreased

Feb 13, 2012 News

– water gradually receding from East Coast farmlands

Prices for vegetables locally have begun to decrease, a check at the Stabroek and Bourda Markets yesterday revealed.
Flooding in various areas along the coastland had sent vegetables prices through the roof in most cases.
But as of yesterday customers enjoyed a decrease in the price of items such as tomatoes, round pepper, cabbage, sweet pepper and celery.
Tomato is now being sold at $100 per pound, which is almost half the price of a week ago
Round pepper is now sold at $60 per pint – three times less the price of last week. Cabbage now costs $100 per pound as compared to the $160 just after the floods. Sweet pepper and Celery have both seen tremendous decreases at $300 per pound as compared to the flood price of $500 per pound.
As of now, vendors are referring to bora as the “gold of the market” with the vegetable being sold by many for over $200 per parcel.
Calaloo, namely the thick leaf variety, is now sold at three stems for $500, while Corrilla is going for $100- $160 per pound. A squash which used to be $100 is now $160.
As for ground provisions, eddoes are now being sold at $60 per pound in comparison to the recent hike of $80 per pound.
Plantain remained at the hiked price of $140 per pound.
Farmers and vendors alike all opined that the items are being sold at a cheap price since many wanted to get rid of their produce before they perished.
“Many of we trying fuh sell out we old greens cheap before dey spoil and we can’t get to make anything,” said a Bourda Market vendor.
However, Kaieteur News understands that a number of long term Bourda Market vendors have not been showing up to sell their produce.
Many have since noted that the market is currently slow and it is was reported that numerous farmers are now in the process of rehabilitating their lands.
Nevertheless, a number of East Coast farmers have started replanting their plots since flood waters on their lands have already been drained out.
“We see a decrease in the water accumulation here. I gon start planting as early as tomorrow (today),”said Mahesh Singh, a Mahaicony farmer.