Vendors raise market produce prices

Following the heavy floods in central and south districts during the first two weeks in July, vendors were forced to raise the price of their market produce. Vegetables such as bodi, tomatoes, saime, cabbage, pumpkin, melongene, ochroes, lettuce and carialle went up 40 percent during the past two weeks. Vendors in Princes Town market claim that the wholesale prices went up because of the loss suffered by farmers during the month of June. Farmers from the deep southern districts of Siparia, Point Fortin, Penal, Santa Flora were hit by the flash flooding that took place in these areas. Penal farmer Harris Raghu told Newsday that main crops of pumpkin was badly affected.

“I used the lagoon land to plant my products and when the floods came hundreds of young pumpkin went with it,” he said. He continued to say that the pumpkin plantation provides a good income for him and he has now applied to Government for assistance following the loss of his produce. He noted also that during the past years the floods did not affect him as badly as it did this year and he will be changing his line of produce in upcoming months. Apart from the pumpkin plantation, farmers complained that the production of lettuce and cabbage take a lot of effort and when the floods came the crops went with it. Even the crops that remained sturdy, were affected by the dirty water. These crops must be sprayed and left for three weeks before it could be consumed.Vendors say that they expect the prices to stay high for the upcoming months.