By Seedy Darboe
Price fluctuation has now been a household name in the country, despite government’s claim of putting a level of control on prices of foodstuffs in the country.
Recently, vegetable gardeners, farmers and vegetable vendors have expressed concern over the Skyrocking pricing of commodities, as they call on government to address the worrying situation in the country.
Speaking to Fatou Touray at Farato market explained how the situation is affecting sales for them
Mrs Touray, who has been selling vegetable products for ten years, said: “ things are increasing day-by-day, and this year has more increment when it comes to pricing than the previous years because we use to buy a bucket of lettuce at a price of 100 dalasi but now it has been increase to 300 in which you either pay it or you will not have it at all.”
“Because vegetable farmers also complain about the shortage of the rain and poor fencing of garden that lead to bad season and as a result of that they also have to sell it at a price bit higher to us then vendors and even the okra we use to buy it at a price of 150 per bucked but now it has been increase to D600 Dalasi you can see and the increment apply to all others onions, potatoes,” he added.
She also appealed for the intervention of government to help gardeners with fens and garden seeds.
She said gardeners’ crops are continuously destroyed by ruminants like cows, sheep, and goats.
Isatou Jobe, who also has been dealing fishing for eight years: “said before they use to buy the white fish bucket at a price of 2000 but now we buy it at 4500 and sell it according to size of the fish , some 60, 80 , 100, or even 160 depending on the size of the fish and how we get it from the fisherman.”
According to her, most of the fishermen are Senegalese, as she appealed to them to reduce the price of fish.
However, Fatou Beyal complaint of illegal fishing saying “there are lot of illegal fishing in our river but perhaps they are doing business with the government who knows.”
“This has to stop to help us fight the price of the fish and the fish scarcity in the country, because the little we have been also taken by the Senegalese. Before the former president make a stop to it that no Gambian fish will be sell or sent to Senegalese but now that we have Chinese, Senegalese and EU fishing vessel all in this small river and we all know we cannot feed the Chinese neither the EU because we have a small river.”