Storm wary market vendors warn consumers to brace for price increase

With Tropical Storm Melissa now threatening sections of the island, vendors at Coronation Market in downtown Kingston are taking no chances, though not everyone is convinced the system will make a direct hit.

For some, preparation is in full swing. For others, faith alone will do.

Outside the market, Shereen Clarke from Portmore, St Catherine, was busy selling at her stall on Thursday afternoon. Clarke, who sells grocery items, said she believes the storm is coming, even if it does not make landfall.

“Yeah man, it a come. Even if it nuh come, we ago get a lot of rain,” she said, attending to customers.

She explained that she had already pulled in her goods from off the road and placed them closer to the sidewalk for safety.

“If push come to shove, mi will put some in storage and tie up the rest and leave dem here,” she said, noting that she usually secures her goods and leaves them at her stall.

Business, she said, has been brisk since the storm announcement.

“Things a sell off! From yesterday, people buy eggs, tinned items, salt fish, salt mackerel, and oil,” Clarke said with a smile.

Inside the market, however, opinions were divided.

Fay Hylton, who was selling papaya for $200 per pound, said she wasn’t convinced the storm was coming.

“Mi nuh convince it a come. God a God, and yuh affi put God inna everything,” she said. “Mi nuh prepare, mi trust God. Even when Gilbert did a come, mi never prepare, and mi did have two baby, and mi ride out the storm.”

SLOW SALES

Hylton admitted that sales had slowed in recent days.

“Normally we would clear off the bags dem by now, but we still have one weh no open yet,” she said.

Nearby, another vendor from Portmore, Shaee, said she is taking Melissa seriously.

“Wi a go get flood. Mi done prepare fi di storm,” she declared. “People a look fi wind and thunder, but Melissa a walk slow. A same way when Noah did a warn dem and dem never believe.”

Shaee said customers were mostly buying yam and banana, and that some sellers had already raised their prices.

“Scallion did a sell for $150, now it gone up to $350 a pound. But mi nah do dat – member mi have conscience, and Jehovah see everything,” she said firmly.

Among the crowd was Bubbles, a vendor who buys goods in Coronation to resell in Liguanea, St Andrew. She said she had returned for a second round of shopping.

“A bare half-pound people a buy. Nobody nah buy inna bulk,” she said. “Mi a do weh mi can fi prepare – ‘cause if we nuh get the wind, we a go get the water.”

Further down the market, Mark, a vendor from St Catherine, was stripping callaloo.

“Mi nuh prepare. Anything a anything. No man can stop God plan, and after a storm, must be a calm,” he said casually.

Beside him, a vendor from Portland had a different outlook.

“Mi batten down from early. After Beryl lift mi roof, mi nah tek no chance,” she said.

She too spoke of price increases.

“Some a di vendors dem raise price already. Dasheen was $100, now it $250,” she said. Others, shared that yam which as at $300 had gone up by $50, and tomatoes, which was around $250 reached $500 per pound.”

She explained that country vendors blamed the hikes on the “risk” and transportation issues, as regular trucks were refusing to make the trip and sellers were forced to charter vehicles.

The vendor warned that consumers should brace for further increases after the storm, as heavy rains are likely to damage crops.

“People already start reap dem crops because of the heavy rains from last week,” she said.

Donna, another vendor from Seaview Gardens in Kingston, echoed similar sentiments.

“Mi see prices a go up. People a buy, but not inna great amounts,” she told The Gleaner.

On Friday, the usually bustling Coronation Market appeared thinner than usual, with fewer goods on display and many stalls shuttered. Vendors say the turnout may dip further on Saturday as more sellers stay home to monitor the weather and secure their belongings.

tanesha.mundle@gleanerjm.com