During a press conference at the Ministry's headquarters in Hope Gardens on December 18, Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Mining, Floyd Green, highlighted the discrepancies between farmgate and retail prices for several food items, urging consumers to exercise prudence when purchasing agricultural produce, especially in the busy Christmas period. Green pointed out that while farmers have faced challenges leading to price adjustments, significant markups often occur at the resale level. He provided an example, stating, "When we look at the average price for local Plummy Tomato it is about $660/kg. However, in the Kingston Metropolitan area, the same commodity is sold at an average price of $1,694/kg, with prices climbing as high as $2,070/kg."
Furthermore, Green emphasized the stark price variation between retailers, illustrating this with the price difference in string beans, which can vary by as much as 76 percent between outlets. He advised consumers to shop around, noting that market spaces typically offer fresh produce at lower prices than retail outlets, and encouraged buying directly from farmers where possible.
Despite challenges such as drought and tropical storms, Green reported that some food commodities have rebounded, with certain crops experiencing price reductions in early December. He noted that commodities like pumpkin, callaloo, papaya, and watermelon have remained stable in price. Looking ahead, Green provided an outlook for price stabilization, expecting vegetable prices at the farmgate level to moderate significantly by early next year, with fruit prices continuing to rise into January. He expressed hope that reductions in prices would be passed on to consumers at the supermarket level.
Source: The Gleaner