Orlando Solorzano, the Minister of Development, Industry and Commerce, (MIFIC), presented the latest monitoring report of the supply and price of vegetables and perishables in the country's markets. He stressed that there was an ample supply of vegetables and that their price tended to decrease from last week, except for the yellow onion.
Yellow onion prices increased because of a decline in production caused by the weather. As a result, producers and traders agreed to the importation of this product.
"To prevent a shortage, they agreed to the import of 20,000 quintals. The markets already have Peruvian onions and there's onion from Peru and the United States in the ports. Onion imports from the Netherlands are still pending. These imports complement the domestic production so that we always have a supply until the upcoming harvest in March," said the official.
The representative of the agricultural ministry, Isidro Rivera, said they had verified that the production of the harvest season was being sent to the markets, which is why they look properly supplied with products such as corn, red beans, meat, and some vegetables . Moreover, the seasonal fruits are being offered at low prices.
"For example, we have more than 25,000 dozen bananas in the market (without including what is in warehouses, supermarkets, and other stores). We have more than 33,000 melons, more than 38,000 watermelons, and more than 14,000 dozen mandarins," Rivera said.
Authorities stated that they had authorized the import of 10,000 quintals of potatoes to ensure the domestic market was supplied and that prices remained low.
