-drop in demand over high prices, health concerns
By Femi Harris
As persistent rainfall and flooding continue to plague farming communities along the East Coast of Demerara, there has been no improvement in the supply of vegetables to the major city markets, vendors say.
Although key vegetables continue to fetch high prices at the markets, there has been a significant drop in the demand. The disruption in supply had seen prices double during the current flooding. A vendor at the Bourda Market told Stabroek News that “de prices fuh these tings really high, an suh yuh find dat people nat buying them as before.” Consumers are sceptical of purchasing vegetables because of the fear of contracting leptospirosis, a potentially serious bacterial illness that can cause death if not treated. Infected wild and domestic animals pass leptospirosis-causing bacteria in their urine and people contract the disease by contact with floodwater, wet soil or vegetation that has been contaminated by the urine of infected animals.
Stabroek News yesterday learnt that persons are shying away from the use of vegetables to a great extent with floodwaters still on farmlands. Instead, items such as potatoes, peas, beans and pasta products are seeing greater demand. A vendor said, “Business worst dis week man, people seeing how people dying from duh leptospirosis ting in de news an suh duh frightening people a lot from buying vegetables man.”
Prices at the Stabroek Market are still double too. The vendors there have also noted the concern expressed by consumers about purchasing vegetables from flood-affected areas. “To some extent, even though we suffering a loss, we understand de concern ah de people,” were the words of one vendor there. She further stated that “de tings dear indeed, an ah mean dese people gat other bills to pay, suh ah guess it really hard on them.”
Vendors have also stated that most consumers, if they do decide to purchase vegetables, are asking about the farms they come from. A vendor explained that consumers are looking for substitutes to some of the vegetables and pointed out that “instead ah people buying seasoning, wah yuh fine dem doing now is buying the grind seasoning in de bottle, yuh know, is tings like duh yuh fine happening now.”
One Stabroek Market vendor sharing his view said, “As lang as de rains continue an de flooding continue, dis gon be de state ah de market business fuh now.”
Meanwhile, consumers say that the prices are still too high for the key vegetables. They have also raised concerns as it relates to leptospirosis. “Buying greens right now is a health hazard,” one consumer remarked.
A visit to the city markets last week Monday revealed that prices for the key vegetables had doubled as a result of the persistent flooding on the East Coast of Demerara. At the markets, vendors said they were paying double for tomatoes, cabbages, bora, boulanger, pumpkin, callaloo and okra, eschallot, among others. Bora that was sold at $100 per bundle is now sold at $200 per bundle at some places. The same is the case with pumpkin and okra.
Meanwhile, according to an advertisement placed in daily newspapers, there will be a Farmers’ Market between Monday and Friday at the New Guyana Marketing Corporation’s Robb and Alexander street offices, where farmers will be selling fresh fruits and vegetables. “This retail sale will facilitate farmers who, in light of the Grow More Food campaign launched last March, have increased production, which may become threatened by the prolonged accumulation of water due to current high intensity rainfall,” the advert said. “Members of the public are advised to take advantage of the activity, especially since produce will be sold at an affordable price.”
