While the price for English tomatoes has dropped from record highs, there is still a shortage but supply issues have been alleviated by imports of the Roma variety from Brazil.
The demand for tomatoes by the oil and gas industry is believed to be behind the sustained increase in prices this year. Whereas two to three years ago, prices per pound were between $200 and $300, there has been a sharp escalation to between $600 and $700 per pound. Tomatoes are now coming into the country from Brazil and transported to the city via Lethem.
Bad weather in tomato-growing areas along the coast is also believed to be a contributory factor to the shortfall in the English variety and the higher prices.
Based on checks done by Stabroek News last week and this week with municipal and city markets, English tomatoes were being sold at $500 per pound at both the Kitty and Bourda markets. Some vendors at Stabroek Market were selling for $400 as they got cheaper supplies from farmers.
Trevor Fraser, a farmer in the Mahaicony area told Stabroek News this week that because of the shortage of English tomatoes on the market, he opted to supply Roma and Grape tomatoes to the Bounty Supermarket. He noted that the Roma tomatoes were purchased for $360 to $400 and he sells to Bounty for $528 including packaging.
He suggested that some farmers may have opted to plant less to benefit from the higher tomato prices. He opined that this will backfire on them because the demand for tomatoes will continue to grow and when in about the middle of this month the English tomatoes are harvested the prices will come down. The price of tomatoes imported from Brazil will also fall and it would not be feasible for them to be transported to the city.
The Roma tomato would be his choice for selling since it travels well, packs well and doesn’t get bruised during transporting. The Roma are mostly for cooking and yield a bountiful harvest. The English tomatoes take a longer time to mature, are more fragile and are mostly for salad purposes.
He added that the Grape tomatoes are a specialty item. He supplies only 25 1bs every three weeks to Bounty – Regent Street. He buys it for $400 per 1b and sells to Bounty 12 ounces in a plastic container for $740. He also supplies to the oil companies.
When asked by this newspaper about the price that English tomatoes were sold at 6 months ago, he said he sold to Bounty for $420 per pound including packaging. He added that he would purchase them for $300 and $360.
A vendor at the Bourda Market who wished not to be named told Stabroek News last week that the market is slow right now. She said that persons prefers the Mongal and Plum tomatoes she’s selling over the English tomatoes. She noted that the locally grown Mongal tomato produces a better harvest. She also said that because of the inclement weather the English tomatoes are not growing properly and so farmers are not replanting. She added that given that fertilizers and chemicals are expensive at the moment, she prefers selling the Mongal and Plum tomatoes over the English tomatoes. She pointed out that the Plum tomatoes are imported from Brazil and she buys for $360 per 1b from the wholesaler and sells for $400 per 1b to buyers.
She said, ”when it was $700 (per pound) some people buy, some don’t. Now people buying a little more. As it gets cheaper you find the …people who could afford it, buy now. When it was $700 and $800 people who could afford it would buy.”
She further stated that six months ago the Mongal tomatoes were sold for $200 or $160 and the English tomatoes were sold for $240 or $340. The Plum variety did not appear on the market until the English tomatoes were in short supply.
Tricia, a vendor in the Stabroek Market last week said that she stopped selling Plum tomatoes because buyers are complaining that it is hard and yellow. She noted that her customers prefer the English tomatoes. The English tomatoes are being bought directly from the farmer now for $360 per 1b and persons are buying it for $400 per 1b. She said that 6 months ago tomatoes were sold cheaper.
Ms. Singh, a vendor at the Kitty Market said that she buys English tomatoes from wholesalers for $400 and sells to consumers for $500. She said that the price is down compared to two to three weeks ago when the English tomatoes were sold for $600 per pound to consumer. She added that six months ago she bought foreign tomatoes for $800 per pound and sold to consumer for $1000 when the English tomato wasn’t around. However, six months ago she sold English tomatoes for between $200 and $600 per pound.
