in dr1 news:
Drought is just one reason for high plantain price
Ministry of Agriculture polls now reveal that farmers were selling their plantains for RD$6.47 in August, while supermarkets were selling them for RD$18.57. This means the intermediary spread was 187%.
Plantain farmers in the north-central provinces of Santiago and Espaillat (Moca) say that the main factors behind the high plantain prices include the multiple links in the supply chain that takes the plantains from the grower to the final consumer.
Farmers Juan Rafael Santos and Marcelino Morillo said that the other factor that has led to the very high price of plantains is the prolonged drought affecting the country.
The price of a thousand plantains from the farm can range from RD$5,000 to RD$7,000 with the most expensive being RD$10,000, depending on size. In the public markets, however, wholesalers sell at RD$1,200 per hundred, sometimes as much as RD$1,500.
In corner shops, shopkeepers say they have to sell plantains for between RD$15 and RD$20 each depending on size and type, as some have been irrigated and some not.
In supermarkets, however, customers need to pay between RD$22 and RD$25 each, regardless of size.
To prevent people paying too much for plantains, the government, via the Ministry of Agriculture has decided to authorize their importation as a way of lowering the price.
