Self sufficiency to fight rising food prices

THE EDITOR: In the midst of a pandemic, the cost of living has gone up.

I have been paying close attention to the price of items in the grocery and can testify that I pay more now for the same items than when I purchased them a few weeks ago.

Quietly, we are paying more for food and while it may be by a few extra cents, the increase quickly adds up especially when you have to purchase grocery for a large family.

This price increase can make a big difference to your pockets especially if your opportunity to earn an income has been reduced or stopped because of the pandemic as is the case with many people in the country.

The headlines this week also suggest that the price of fast food has gone up and what was a luxury indulgence a few months ago, may now actually be difficult to come by for some people.

While I don't mean to sound negative, given the relief many food vendors and workers are feeling with the reopening of the food sector, the price increase in basic food commodities is an issue we must all pay attention to.

Cooking oil has quietly gone up and in some instances by as much as 25 per cent depending on the brand. This is the cold, hard reality that consumers must be aware of.

Given that profit margins are what businesses look at, the strain of these price increases to the average citizen, especially in the midst of a pandemic with consequent job losses, shutting down of business and reduction in salaries, means the powers that me must keep a close watch on the cost of living in TT.

Keeping down food prices will benefit all citizens and to do this, we must put greater emphasis on home-grown food items and stimulation of the local agro, fish, dairy and meat industries rather than depending on imports. It's the smartest thing to do.

A. GOPEESINGH

San Juan