Middlemen driving up vegetable prices by as much as 100% – Agri Minister

…says farmers’ markets, increased production as measures to lower prices

Agriculture Minister Zulfikar Mustapha has criticised middlemen for applying what he described as markups of 50 -100 per cent to agricultural produce, arguing that prices at farmers’ markets demonstrate the benefits available to both producers and consumers. Speaking following an agricultural outreach at Albion, Region Six (East Berbice-Corentyne), Mustapha said the Government is working to increase fruit and vegetable production while continuing farmers’ markets to help lower prices.

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He said President Dr Irfaan Ali remains concerned about prices being charged at markets, and pointed to comparisons with farmers’ markets in support of his assessment. “And when you look at the farmers’ market, it’s almost 50 per cent or 100 per cent markup that the vendors or the people who are selling in the market are putting on to the prices. The point I want to make is that the middleman is putting a heavy markup on these prices,” Mustapha said.