As people continue to raise concerns on the exorbitant prices of vegetables and root crops after the COVID-19 lockdown and Tropical Cyclone Harold, Minister for Agriculture, Dr. Mahendra Reddy says people will have to make adjustments as to which vegetables and root crops they will consume at the current time.
In a press conference, Dr. Reddy says during this time when supply of vegetables and root crops have been affected by weather conditions, prices will be pushed up, so that farmers, middlemen and vendors will put higher profit margins.
Dr. Reddy says this situation can remain for one or two months.
He also claims that the prices of all vegetables and roots crops are not high.
Dr. Reddy adds that the Agriculture Marketing Authority did not charge anything extra while selling vegetables and root crops to market vendors during the Suva lockdown and all the operational cost was absorbed by the AMA.
He says during the Lautoka lockdown, there was a small margin of difference in the price.
Dr Reddy also says they will make a major announcement next Monday on what the Ministry will be doing to push the supply of vegetables and root crops in the market.
