radhica.sookraj@guardian.co.tt
Sorrel is in short supply this Christmas.
Every year, vans loaded with the traditional Christmas staple are seen on the Gulf View Link up, Tarouba and along the SS Erin Road in South Trinidad.
But this year, this has not been the case.
At the Central Market, in San Fernando, there was also no sorrel on sale.
However, a Guardian Media team found some packaged sorrel at several supermarkets.
Speaking to Guardian Media, sorrel vendor Joshanne Edwards, of Arouca, admitted that sorrel is scarce this year.
Edwards, who markets the produce on Facebook, explained that demand has exceeded supply.
“I am selling four pounds for $25 and I am getting a lot of sales. Right now other people are selling three pounds for $25,” she added.
Edwards said excessive rain, an increase in pests and changes in weather patterns resulted in a decrease in sorrel production this year.
Usually sorrel sells at $5 per pound but Edwards said with increases in the cost of production there has been a price increase.
Netu Gosine, whose husband Ravi Gosine, produces two acres of sorrel in Valencia, also confirmed that there has been a scarcity of the crop. She explained that many farmers who planted sorrel were experiencing a late crop with many farmers expecting their produce in January and not December.
“With sorrel, everything is about timing. We planted for Corpus Christi but this year I barely saw sorrel being sold,” Gosine added.
She said the cost of insecticides had increased.
“With sorrel production, we need chemicals to take care of the tree and to stop the mealy bugs,” she added.
Gosine said very few farmers have been cultivating sorrel as it was more profitable to do short crops which had a faster return on investment. She said many people were opting for supermarket packaged dry sorrel or prepared sorrel noting that only the older generations wanted the traditional sorrel for the season.
Apart from sorrel shortages, vendors at the market said there was also a shortage of apples and grapes at that location.
Shafeer John said, “The market has no fruits, no apples and grapes. Last year, we had lots of apples and grapes selling for $15 per pound but this year, nothing.”
“This year things really bad. Last year we sell chive 3 for $20. This year it is 3 for $10. Last year hot peppers we getting seven for $5. This year pepper is more expensive. All green seasoning prices dropped. The market is dead, it has more vendors than buyers,” John said.
He said ginger sold for $15 wholesale and sold for $20 retail.
Meanwhile, pork vendor Kesley Sutherland said fresh pork remained at $25 per pound but sales continue to be slow.
“This year people don’t have money to buy as they did in previous years. Over the last couple of years, sales have been at a decrease because people are watching their pockets. We as vendors try not to raise the price because we want to show courtesy to our customers. We try to offer specials,” Sutherland said.
He added, “We have to convince people to buy because we competing with foreign pork and it’s hard but our customers know our pork is more healthy.”
Sutherland said the cost of feed has escalated. Last year we paid $63, right now it’s $98 and that is just all-purpose feed,” Sutherland added. He said pork sales had dropped by 50 per cent.
President of the T&T Supermarkets Association Rajiv Diptee told Guardian Media that the price of traditional Christmas staples like turkey, ham, sparkling wines, wafers and biscuits had escalated because of higher shipping costs.
He said supermarket owners were cognisant of the economic challenges and had prepared specials to fit every pocket.
He noted that people were continuing to buy, noting that even sorrel is available on supermarket shelves