Venezuela: Twenty dollars for a kilo of onions
"I paid $130 bolivars (U.S. $20) for a kilo of onions, 140 bolivars for a kilo of tomatoes and $140 and $120 bolivars for 250 grams of national garlic. There are very few things we can pay with the highest denomination bill," said Lesly Rojas, one of the consumers who was at the Quinta Crespo market yesterday.
According to traders and consumers, the price of agricultural products has risen significantly in recent months. Prices vary depending on the place they are sold but, on average, the kilo of carrots costs 120 bolivars, the kilo of eggplants 100 bolivars, the kilo of paprika 160 bolivars, the kilo of garlic and chives 150 bolivars, kilo of apples costs 80 bolivars, a kilo of bananas 60 bolivars, and a kilo of peaches 100 bolivars.
The rise in prices isn’t only due to the seasonality of crops. "There are a number of factors causing the increase. On the one hand, its hard for producers to find fertilizers, and when they do their price has increased; for example, the sack of urea increased from 19 to 270 bolivars. The intermediaries who take the production from the field to the markets also help increase costs, said Emmanuel Escalona, national director of Federagro vegetables.
Long queues
Consumers who visit the municipal markets agree that prices are higher than at the supermarkets, but they rather pay more and avoid the queues. "You have to queue even if you’re not looking for regulated products, and not everybody has time for that," said Soraya Rigau, a customer at Quinta Crespo market.
Source: nuevaprensaweb.ve