President Irfaan Ali says his government is doing its best to alleviate the burden imposed on citizens countrywide due to escalating food prices, when questioned yesterday on the sidelines of the European Union Trade Mission, at the Guyana Marriott Hotel.
The president blamed the unprecedented and protracted El Nino period (dry season) as significantly contributing to the astronomical spike in the prices of fruits and vegetables.
“Our farmers are faced with a prolonged dry season. There are drought conditions. Yield has reduced, and productivity has reduced. In some areas, some farms have been burnt out because of the extreme heat, and this has caused a drop in supply. The basic theory is that if there is a drop in supply and demand does not decrease, then price increases. So, that is primarily the main issue that we have here,” President Ali told the media.