By Subhana Shiwmangal
Varying reasons are being proffered for the continuing high price for plantains including the cost of fertilisers, inflation by middlemen and a fungus.
The Sunday Stabroek spoke to farmers, retailers, middlemen and supermarkets and the head of the National Agricultural Research and Extension Institute (NAREI) to understand what is contributing to the continued high price for this staple.
According to vendors from the Bourda, Stabroek and Parika markets, the Survival Supermarket and a middleman, the escalating plantain prices are directly related to three factors – the Black Sigatoka fungus, low supply in the face of high local demand, and the prohibitive costs for fertilizers. One farmer suggested that unseasonal rains actually worsened wholesale and retail prices. The head of NAREI however is refuting any relationship between the fungus and prices and redirects the responsibility towards unreasonable farmers and middlemen.