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| Dry spell affects market prices in Ba Jun 17, 2005, 14:00 |
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Prices of rootcrops and vegetables are high in Ba compared to other municipal markets around the country.
According to the Ministry of Agriculture, most of the assorted vegetables are fetching double the price in Ba.
Eggplant is fetching at $2.00 per kilogram in Ba compared to $0.50 to $1.00kg sold in other markets.
English cabbage which was selling at $5.00 per kg in Ba, $2.50 per kg in Lautoka, $2.08 per kg in Nausori, $2.57 per kg in Sigatoka and $3.33 per kg in Suva.
Similarly, the price of dalo, both tasulala and other varieties is $3.00 a kilogram compared to $0.50 to $1.50 in other local markets.
Ginger and yam are selling at $4.00 per kg in Ba compared to $2.62 per kg and $1.86 per kg on average respectively in other markets.
Vegetable and rootcrop prices in Ba have been high for the past few weeks.
Agriculture Technical Officer Ba, Uma Deo Sharma said that the increase in prices of vegetables and root crops is due to the dry spell for the last two months.
Most of the farmers, he said irrigate their farms since there is not enough rain in the area.
Mr Sharma added that most of the assorted vegetables such as eggplant, okra, chillies, beans and cowpea are exported and this is the main season so the supply drops in the local market.
Meanwhile, vegetable supply situation in other local markets has improved according to reports received from the Agriculture Officers around the country.
The reports have indicated that the supply of green leafy vegetables, eggplants and beans has improved with prices decreasing when compared to the situation in the last two weeks.
Statistics released by the Agriculture Ministry’s Fiji Agtrade Section reveals that the supply of most of these vegetables have improved in the Suva market compared to the last few weeks.
There is improvement in supply of French bean selling at $2.50/kg compared to $4.00/kg in the past two weeks.
Supply of root crops such as dalo and cassava is in abundance. A bundle containing seven to eight dalo is selling at $8.00 to $10.00.
Similarly, the vegetable supply situation in Labasa is normalizing with a decrease in prices.
Price for eggplant has dropped to $0.50 from $2.00 a kilogram sold two weeks ago and price for chinese cabbage has dropped from $1.50 to $1.00 a bundle. Prices of other vegetables have also dropped by 20 percent.
Senior Agriculture Offficer Macuata Sugrim Chand said that farmers have started the pre-season harvesting so the supply of vegetables is becoming normal in the market.
Mr Chand said that farmers whose crops were affected during the recent flood in Labasa have completed the planting for main season vegetable production.
However, he said the farmers should follow phase planting in a bid to avoid oversupply of vegetables in the market.
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