Market Bag: Farmers hopeful that rains will cool prices

KINGSTON, Jamaica — Farmers in Mandeville are optimistic that recent rainfall will boost agricultural production and bring much-needed relief to consumers, as produce prices remain high amid an extended period of drought. During this week’s visit to the Mandeville Market, lettuce was among the most expensive items, selling for $1,400 per pound. Sweet peppers were priced at $600 per pound, while tomatoes and carrots were each selling for $500 per pound. Sweet potatoes were going for $450 per pound, escallion for $400 per pound and onions and Irish potatoes for $300 per pound. Scotch bonnet peppers were being sold for $200 per bag. Despite the high prices, farmers told Market Bag host Carlysia Ramdeen that improving weather conditions have renewed hopes for increased production and a possible reduction in prices in the coming weeks. One farmer, who only identified himself as 'Stone', explained that the return of rainfall, coupled with cooler temperatures, is encouraging more farmers to resume planting. “Now everybody is going to go out and plant because we getting back little rain, the temperature are dropping, so more farmers are going out and planting now, so prices gonna come down for a while,” Stone shared. However, he cautioned that any relief could be short-lived, noting that excessive rainfall could also disrupt production and drive prices higher. “That vary on how the weather keep up. If we get too much rain, production is going to go down, so that is going to surge the prices,” he added. Fellow farmer Orando White echoed those sentiments, noting that it remains too early to determine how the recent rainfall would affect produce prices. “Even if there is a price decrease, I believe that it will be stable enough where customers and sellers likewise and farmers can be happy at the same time,” White said. Catch the latest episode of Market Bag on all Jamaica Observer digital platforms.