Compared with a month ago, there is a vast improvement in the supply of vegetables and a concomitant improvement in prices and quality at city markets, mainly as a result of improved weather conditions
Heavy rainfall in January saw farming communities along the East Coast flooded and this had affected the supply of vegetables to the major city markets, causing prices to double for what was described as sub-par produce.
Two weeks ago market vendors had reported an improvement in the supply of vegetables as well as their price and quality.
When this newspaper visited the Bourda and Stabroek markets yesterday, vendors said business had significantly improved once again. “It’s back to business as usual,” one vendor at the Stabroek Market exclaimed.
Among the vegetables that saw a drop in price at both the Bourda and Stabroek markets over the past two weeks are: tomatoes, eschallot, celery, bora, okra, cabbage, boulanger, pakchoy, and pumpkin. Eschallot was sold at $400 and $500 per lb and is now $360 and $380. Tomato has decreased from $300 and $400 per lb to $200 and $360. Celery can now be bought for $60 a bundle as opposed to $100 and $200. Bora that was previously sold for $1,500 a bag can now be bought for $680; a bundle has decreased from $200 and $400 to $100 and $160. Okra is now down from $240 and $280 to $100 and $160 per lb. Cabbage is no longer $280 per lb but is now $160 and $180. Pumpkin can now be bought for $100 a slice as opposed to $200 and $300 earlier. Boulanger is no longer $300 and $400 but $200 a parcel.
According to a group of vendors at Bourda, what they are experiencing at present is a fluctuation in prices, which they said was quite normal in business from time to time. “Well, all that happening now is that de prices going up an down every now and then, but duh is business,” one man said.
They said prices were increasing and decreasing by $20 or $40, but consumers seemed to be coping; adding that these price fluctuations were favourable when compared to the prices during the flood.
Asked if they felt threatened by the heavy rainfall last weekend, the vendors said that it is important for the crops to have water. “We need de sun an de rain fuh de plants; de problem is when we get too much a one” a Stabroek Market vendor said.
“De rain just falling fuh de moon” another vendor said.
Meanwhile, when Stabroek News spoke with customers at both markets, they were resigned, but favorably so. “We can live with the present prices,” were the words of one customer.
“We can’t expect fuh everything guh we way, cause de sellers gat to live to,” another remarked.
Last month consumers were especially sceptical of purchasing vegetables during the time of the flood because of the fear of contracting leptospirosis, a potentially fatal bacterial illness. 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. Because there was stagnant floodwater on the farmlands, consumers were shying away from the use of local vegetables. Instead, imported and canned vegetables, peas and beans were in great demand.
