Food prices up

[NewsWhore]

Traders selling farm goods at the two largest open markets in Santo Domingo say that they are having to spend more to renew their stocks due to rising prices for the main Dominican food staples. Plantain, sweet potato (batata), cassava (yuca), lettuce and eggplant prices have gone up by as much as 100%. Reporters from Hoy newspaper visited the markets at Villa Consuelo and Ciudad Ganadera. Traders said that their operating capital was no longer sufficient to keep stocking their usual amount of goods. Most of them blamed the effects of Tropical Storm Noel for the increase in prices. One stall holder, Ramon Garcia, told reporter Aleida Plasencia that he had to spend RD$40,000 to replace RD$20,000 worth of agricultural products that he had purchased the previous week. One vendor at the Villa Consuelo market told the reporter that he used to purchase cassava at RD$6.00 and sell it for RD$8.00 per lb, but now had to buy it at RD$8.00 and sell it for RD$10.00. Plantains are now being sold for as much as RD$10.00 each.

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