Plaza Lama is advertising plantains for RD$0.25 cents each. This is much much less than the peak RD$8.00 per plantain of the post Hurricane Georges days. It also shows the country’s planting capacity as well as its lack of planning. What is likely to happen? In eight months time, plantains will cost upwards of RD$3.00-RD$4.00 again, as all those who planted plantains will say "never again" after loosing their shirts with the depressed prices. Meanwhile, eat all the plantains you can now, in all ways "mangú" (mashed) and "tostones" (fried). Or let them ripen and make sweet plantain "pastelón" (with meat or vegetable filling), or cooked in sugar. When the price of plantains surged due to the scarcity following Hurricane Georges (last September), thousands planted the staple. Thus today there is an overabundance. Suplidora Agrícola and Casa Calín are two companies that are visiting farms to purchase the plantains for sale in Miami, New York and Puerto Rico. Farm produce in general is selling for record low prices. Super Pola is advertising the pound of Barcelo tomatoes for RD$0.95, celery for RD$0.75, avocados at RD$0.75 each, cucumbers at RD$0.75 the pound, carrots at RD$0.85 the pound.
