00:00Expect increases in produce and meat prices. It's the heads-up being issued by the Agricultural Society and market vendors,
00:07as both Trinidad and Tobago are now under drought watch, beginning this month. Vanessa Cutting has more.
00:16It's beyond hot in TNT, and the heat is about to start hitting your pockets. Consumers are advised that as
00:24temperatures increase, so too are the food prices, in particular, fresh bodies and meat items.
00:31Lettuce, lettuce.
00:36Trinidad and Tobago is now officially on drought watch, but even ahead of the expected worsening of conditions,
00:44produce prices have already increased due to prolonged high temperatures and decreased rainfall activity.
01:14People still want to pay the normal $1, $2 for certain items. When it goes up more than $5, they
01:21get in trouble to sell your produce on the outside.
01:27More like your pumpkin and things, people still want to pay $1 and $2 for your pumpkin and things.
01:32Vendors report a slowing of sales over the weeks, with customers picking and choosing their purchases.
01:40But though customers may complain, vegetables are a must for a healthy diet.
01:45Real, real expensive. This market is too expensive. They have to drop the price, man.
01:50What in particular? Yes, they have a difficulty with it.
01:52Every time I come to buy, it's real money I spend. And I have to spend it because I have
01:58no other choice.
01:59The cost of seasonings and peppers, as well as salad staples like lettuce and tomatoes, are among the items that
02:07have already increased.
02:09Right now the tomatoes gone up. From 10, it went to 14, 11, 12, 13, 14.
02:16Right celery, from 50, it reached to 90 to 100, 120.
02:23Cabbage, from 7 and 8, it reached back to 9.
02:27Sweet pepper was 7, it reached back to 10, 11, 12.
02:38And farmers warn the situation will only worsen. Melanie Guy, who farms in the Canoopia, Tabakete, Mount Moriah area, is
02:47asking for urgent support for herself and the other 50-odd farmers in the area.
02:53Right now, I don't have a farm. My farm needed cleaning and I've been waiting for some years now. I've
02:58been there almost nine years.
03:00And I cannot really do it on my own because I am waiting for permission to do so.
03:05And if they can come and meet with us so we can get things going.
03:09Because farmers, I'm particularly, I'm losing out of pocket to do my crops.
03:15Right?
03:19Roughly, we have about 50 farmers within that area.
03:25And that's a big contribution to our society, food-wise, food security.
03:29And this oncoming drought is something we should all take seriously.
03:34Meantime, the Agricultural Society is also advising of likely increases in local meats.
03:40As it pertains to animals, on the other hand, you know that we are going through the chicken shortage right
03:47now.
03:48And also, additionally, farmers have already taken steps in terms of reducing the amount of goods that they are wearing
03:58right now for them to avoid the losses.
04:01But we, as a consumer, have seen the hiking increase based upon supply and demand because of that.
04:06What we can expect as well, and we saw this last year and the year before, we had losses in
04:11the livestock sector because of the heat wave.
04:13And we will continue to have losses in the poultry sector as well, too, at the same time.
04:18So, based upon the premium, the prices will increase.
04:22Renasa Cutting, TV6 News.
