Food Prices Increase

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As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to have an impact on the global supply of goods and services, consumers are already facing increased prices at the groceries and are now being told to brace for more increases.

Confirming this was Supermarket Association of T&T (SATT) president Rajiv Diptee yesterday. “People will always assume that it’s the supermarkets raising the prices, but there have been a plethora of price increases from suppliers,” Diptee said.

He pointed out that the supermarkets can normally access discounts or specials on certain items from suppliers, but with COVID-19 causing major disruptions in international supply chains this has been eliminated.

Citizens have been complaining to Guardian Media about the increases in grocery bills and unsavoury price gouging during the COVID measures.

Some groceries yesterday confirmed that prices on some items will increase. While many of the items that will rise in cost remain uncertain, Guardian Media understands the price of peas and nuts will surely increase due to COVID’s impact on suppliers.

In a recent release by the SATT, Diptee said events took a quick turn as seaports across the world began closing due to the virus at the beginning of March. He said this, in addition to ‘stay-at-home’ orders, sparked waves of panic buying globally, which in turn significantly impacted foreign supplies.

The release said the closure of many global shipping ports had impacted on freight cost with a concomitant increase in prices.

“The equation of limited supply versus an increased demand for goods will figure significantly on the final price of the product, with the end result being increased prices passed over to consumers,” Diptee said.

Yesterday, Super Quality Supermarket owner Feroze Khan agreed the price increase coming from the local suppliers were based on international price increases.

Khan split peas and lentil peas had made significant jumps. He said yellow split peas normally goes for $200 to $250 a bag but has now doubled to approximately $450 per bag.

Grocery owner Kumar Maharaj, who said that peas prices had gone up to $500 a bag in his experience, also confirmed this.

Khan said the price increase came about because supplies that are usually purchased from Canada are now coming from merchants in Miami, which escalates the price.

Also confirming Diptee’s remarks was Shamshad Ali, owner of Price Club Supermarket, who said: “Any price increases, whether today, yesterday or tomorrow, are based on the incoming from the suppliers.”

Ali said the basis of the retail industry leads to grocers adjusting their prices according to the cost of the goods received from their suppliers. He said when his grocery receives its product from the suppliers, based on the price and item, the markup cost ranges between 3 and 20 per cent.

When a supplier raises prices, Ali said, it is based on “the understanding that the suppliers internationally have raised their prices.”

“We cannot confirm or we can’t deny, but at the end of the day whatever price we get we have to add our markup and that’s the price,” Ali said.

Khan also said he is experiencing some shortages as well. He said his grocery would normally purchase 25 bags of split peas and lentil peas a week but this week, the supplier only gave him five bags of split peas and lentils each.

“Food security is perhaps the far more challenging issue that we need to focus on because there are logistical challenges throughout the world,” Khan said.

“If you operate in an environment that is market-driven, we sometimes think we shouldn’t have market prices when it isn’t going in our favour,” said Khan.

He said market forces drove oil prices to below zero and it will also bring the price back up.

Noting that major pork producer Smithfield Foods had closed its processing plant in the United States and sent home approximately 700 workers due to COVID-19, he said he expected shortages and price increases for pork within the next month.

Additionally, Khan noted that many farmers have had to dump their produce because the sectors and industries they would normally supply to—like ships, restaurants and the aviation caterers—were now closed.

He said the uncertainty with regard to when businesses will be reopened is weighing upon farmers’ decisions to plant - which can also cause a shortage if they are not prepared to meet the demand when the economy restarts.

With respect to food security, Khan said on average the food chains would have about three months of food cover.

Diptee confirmed this and also said a lack of access to foreign exchange impedes the logistics of food importers.

“The Prime Minister, when this whole thing happened, said that there was going to be a facility with EXIM (Export-Import Bank) to release US dollars to importers of food. What has happened is that we have not seen that foreign exchange being released to importers as yet,” Diptee said.

When Guardian Media contacted the EXIM bank on this issue, it said it is aware of the issue and has been working with the Ministry of Finance, Ministry of Trade and Industry and the private sector to proactively address potential supply chain disruptions.

The bank’s CEO Navin Dookeran said: “In fact, over the last few weeks, we have already commenced priority forex allocations for essential items and the inputs into local manufacturing of the key essential supplies.”

anyone who wah say stay the fuq home and keep the cuntry lock dong better doh complain when the poor from the hills in pos come dong to rob allyuh mc for allyuh food. call police they go seize the food as evidence and big cook in the station. stressfull times coming for all ah we MC. a roti is $35 now an when dhal go up go be $45 so keep allyuh arse home an let the economy go to sheit. channa gone up so doubles go be $10. freight to bring the secret kfc recipe gone up so kfc go jam allyuh with no vaseline.(oil drop so vaseline go be cheaper dan ky)

[shake d livin wake d dead]

Couldnt care less about buying food on the outside. But expect increases in robberies and he invasions

[Kenjo]

The world is going to collapse basically .

[pugboy]

lot of diff negative factors to mash up the place

how far rowlee reach with planting the ground provisions ?

[88sins]

no worries here, crops & animals coming along nicely, & I got zero reservations about turning a thieving a--hole into a memory

[Chimera]

It have a big 7 foot long caiman in d pond...u eh coming for it?

no worries here, crops & animals coming along nicely, & I got zero reservations about turning a thieving a--hole into a memory

[matr1x]

He should ask stewie. He little one is an expert in coco

[88sins]

It have a big 7 foot long caiman in d pond...u eh coming for it?

no worries here, crops & animals coming along nicely, & I got zero reservations about turning a thieving a--hole into a memory

check ur pm bro

[hydroep]

Honestly wouldn't mind if the prices of a lot of those imported "luxurious" foods increased to the extent where demand dropped like a rock. Limited resources could then be focused on procuring necessities. I would go so far to say non-essentials should be banned for the time being but certain people would never allow that.

The increasing cost of basics is concerning though (2x for yellow split peas...). More stress for the vulnerable in society...

[Syberfraggle]

In time supplies will improve.
The question is however will prices go back down? Has this ever happened historically in TnT?
Will these supermarket owners who readily quoting the price of a bag of dhal and of lentil now be so eager to drop prices when the international price eventually drops?

[redmanjp]

In time supplies will improve.
The question is however will prices go back down? Has this ever happened historically in TnT?
Will these supermarket owners who readily quoting the price of a bag of dhal and of lentil now be so eager to drop prices when the international price eventually drops?

This!!

[88sins]

Trinis need to figure out that one must be able to be self sufficient & self reliant, and stop being dependent on imported food & other items, and even learn to rely less on having to buy everything all the time. Today, gone are the days of the kitchen garden. people even those with the space and time, not planting or rearing NOTHING for personal consumption. look a simple example. chadon beni does grow wild all over the place. yet almost nobody would say ok, lemme uproot this wild bush I know I could cook with, put it in a small container & take it home. But these same ppl will go in a grocery to buy that same chadon beni, and complain like a lil beeyatch about the price. Others will say "I living in a apartment, I cyah grow nuttn" while others living in similar apartments will grow weed in said apartment normal normal.

ppl need to extract their heads from their arses & figure out which way is up

[pugboy]

we have grown accustomed to that lifestyle unfortunately

a jamaican guy I know who from country area tell me is only when he reach trinidad he ever had to buy provisions, plantain fig etc.
he say everybody in the area growing that and you just go a dig/pick every week your needs
if yours not ready the neighbour have

[death365]

yeah ... imagine $7- 8 doubles $10 triples (GHUA) God help us all !

[Dizzy28]

yeah ... imagine $7- 8 doubles $10 triples (GHUA) God help us all !

Well we all know to make it now (except Wendy and Rachel Price)
Home cook ftw

[death365]

yeah ... imagine $7- 8 doubles $10 triples (GHUA) God help us all !

Well we all know to make it now (except Wendy and Rachel Price)
Home cook ftw

i know how to make dhalpuri too but for me, its easier to go an buy instead. also when the traffic start back yuh think u will have time to organize and cook.... it will bw back to pressure traffic

[redmanjp]

we have grown accustomed to that lifestyle unfortunately

a jamaican guy I know who from country area tell me is only when he reach trinidad he ever had to buy provisions, plantain fig etc.
he say everybody in the area growing that and you just go a dig/pick every week your needs
if yours not ready the neighbour have

of course if u living in apartment building u probably doh have ah garden to do this

[MaxPower]

Trinis need to figure out that one must be able to be self sufficient & self reliant, and stop being dependent on imported food & other items, and even learn to rely less on having to buy everything all the time. Today, gone are the days of the kitchen garden. people even those with the space and time, not planting or rearing NOTHING for personal consumption. look a simple example. chadon beni does grow wild all over the place. yet almost nobody would say ok, lemme uproot this wild bush I know I could cook with, put it in a small container & take it home. But these same ppl will go in a grocery to buy that same chadon beni, and complain like a lil beeyatch about the price. Others will say "I living in a apartment, I cyah grow nuttn" while others living in similar apartments will grow weed in said apartment normal normal.

ppl need to extract their heads from their arses & figure out which way is up

Wow Reek,

This is the post of the pandemic

[EFFECTIC DESIGNS]

This was very much expected, major exporters of wheat has banned the export and the entire planet is collapsing.

If a Vaccine isn't developed quickly for Covid, we will have 2 choices

1) Remain in quarantine and pay increasing prices for food and possibly starving when we run out of food or money
2) Reopen the entire world and who dead, dead which is actually what young people hoping for.

I will take option 1 me eh going nowhere until we get a vaccine, I go plant my short crops plus these days I eating real mango chow and plum chow. Good thing I plant a few trees years ago yes....

[meccalli]

I'm doing good with M&M's right now. Moringa and Mango lol. Got cassava and fig to fall back on, short crops and seasoning on aquaponics.

[88sins]

we have grown accustomed to that lifestyle unfortunately

a jamaican guy I know who from country area tell me is only when he reach trinidad he ever had to buy provisions, plantain fig etc.
he say everybody in the area growing that and you just go a dig/pick every week your needs
if yours not ready the neighbour have

of course if u living in apartment building u probably doh have ah garden to do this

but weed could grow in an apartment in a pot or a bucket or even a hydro system just fine ent? nobody saying yuh hadda ONLY plant provision & greenfig. it have PLENTY short crops that will grow in a little space like an apt
stop making excuses for ppl laziness palo

[meccalli]

we have grown accustomed to that lifestyle unfortunately

a jamaican guy I know who from country area tell me is only when he reach trinidad he ever had to buy provisions, plantain fig etc.
he say everybody in the area growing that and you just go a dig/pick every week your needs
if yours not ready the neighbour have

of course if u living in apartment building u probably doh have ah garden to do this

One of my favourite lecturers in uwi was Dr. Lynda Wickham, she actually prefers to grow her tubers in pots, some of the biggest dasheen she brought to class were grown on her porch.

[hydroep]

Eh go lie, it's a bit of an adjustment...especially for the younger ones. Green Fig Talkari on the menu today...

[randolphinshan]

Eh go lie, it's a bit of an adjustment...especially for the younger ones. Green Fig Talkari on the menu today...

Yes make it Sada and get ready for action tonight with the wifey

[shake d livin wake d dead]

Idk when any govt will use their brain and utilize CEPEP and URP for agriculture purposes as opposed to having 10 men cut 20ft of bush. Plenty vacant land all over which would allow for proper planning for something like this.

But knowing the mentality of CEPEP and URP, they would say that is slavery

[Soul Collector]

Idk when any govt will use their brain and utilize CEPEP and URP for agriculture purposes as opposed to having 10 men cut 20ft of bush. Plenty vacant land all over which would allow for proper planning for something like this.

But knowing the mentality of CEPEP and URP, they would say that is slavery

Exactly eh. Imagine some people still look down on farmers and farming on the whole.

88sins sum it up nice though. Some people already started up their food forests, learning permaculture methods not letting a single thing go to waste to promote a sustainable living space. Even if it's a few pots at your apartment, there's no excuse not to not do your own thing. Unless of course you rolling in money and don't have a care in the world. Even still, it's such a rewarding way of living and a total lifestyle switch up. When you start to work WITH nature instead of against it, then you really start seeing things progress in such a nice way, a natural way.

[88sins]

Idk when any govt will use their brain and utilize CEPEP and URP for agriculture purposes as opposed to having 10 men cut 20ft of bush. Plenty vacant land all over which would allow for proper planning for something like this.

But knowing the mentality of CEPEP and URP, they would say that is slavery

boi, u unnastan the problem and the solution, but the real isssue is the humans
Now, me eh go lie, planting food is HARD wuk. no two ways about it. digging dirt, cutting bush, spraying weedicides, making furrows, watering plants & seedlings, tending them, treating for pests, etc. and the problem we have is ppl so used to handouts and hardly doing anything for that little piece of paper, dem eh go want to hear nuttn about hard wuk. youth today prefer to run up & down on a road & kick a ball for 2 hours straight & pretend to be a star footballer, or sit on they useless arse on a block whole day, than to take 30 minutes -1hr & prepare a corner of the yard & plant a little seasoning patch or something they could eat and help moms & pops out with the grocery bill. & the doltish parents of these youths have encouraged this bs for YEARS



I'll never forget for as long as I live the day my big daughter shocked the shite outta me when she was only 10. I had to go in her room for something, can't recall what, & what I could find but the little girl had one setta seedlings growing in her room. chive, hot pepper, sweet pepper, pimento, bodi, all kinda thing, & of all the vessels in the world she was using empty vienna sausage tins. I had no idea where she get them tins from cuz we doh eat dat in my house, but she say she asked the neighbors to keep them for her. She tell me it was a surprise & she want we to plant them in the garden together. boi, meh eyeball nearly spring a leak, talk about pride & happiness.

[Soul Collector]

Wow man ^^^ Keep doing what you doing with those kids 88, well done!

[maj. tom]

Farming is a skilled job. Very difficult and it takes many years to become expert level at it on the level of mass food production. They teach it at universities. CPEP isn't skilled at all. Many just completely lack the capacity to do that kind of work or educational perseverance. And i not putting down anyone, that's just how society works. That was the whole point of those programmes. Creating jobs for unskilled labor.

[EFFECTIC DESIGNS]

Idk when any govt will use their brain and utilize CEPEP and URP for agriculture purposes as opposed to having 10 men cut 20ft of bush. Plenty vacant land all over which would allow for proper planning for something like this.

But knowing the mentality of CEPEP and URP, they would say that is slavery

CEPEP and URP wasn't created to benefit the population it was created to give supporters an easy wuk for safe votes.

If you give them hard wuk in planting crops you eh getting no vote and them firing that wuk instantly.