The price of vegetables in different markets in Lima has reported a drop in prices, due to the fact that yesterday, Tuesday, April 5, a large amount of merchandise entered . Traders have specified that many foods are now costing less than half as much as they did days ago, such as the artichoke, which dropped from S/30 soles to S/10.
The virus cameras approached the Promised Land Market in Santa Anita, where they talked to a merchant who told her that they already had a lot of vegetables and were waiting for people to come and buy.
“Everything has come down,” said Mrs. Theofila Surichaqui. Who called on viewers to come and buy the vegetables, new arrivals and with much lower prices.
For example, it was reported that the olluquito is now costing S/1.50 soles, out of the S/2 soles it used to cost. Similarly, carrot supply has arrived, which is S/ 1.50 soles. It is recalled that at one time there was no supply of this in most markets in Lima, so it came to a price of up to S/20 soles.
On the other hand, the pea is costing S/3 soles, when it used to cost S/7 soles. The artichoke also had a reduction by more than half of its previous price (S/30 soles), since it is now sold at between S/12 and 10 soles.
In fruits, there was also a drop in prices, so that a kilo of strawberries is costing S/4 soles.
RESTAURANTS COULD INCREASE PRICES BY 40%
While many of the inputs are now dropping their prices, due to all the events of recent months, coupled with the shortage of food that occurred for a moment due to the stoppage of carriers, restaurants say they could increase their prices by 40%.
According to the president of the Association of Hotels, Restaurants and Allied People of Peru (Now Peru), Blanca Chavez, this is due to the increase in prices and shortages of supplies that businesses use to prepare their dishes.
Chávez commented that restaurants are currently considering increasing the price of their menus between 20% and 40%. “If the situation worsens even more, they could rise by up to 80%,” he told the newspaper Gestión.
The union representative also assured that this price increase did not take place before, considering how hit the economy is by the national situation and the COVID-19 pandemic. However, the current situation and the extra cost of inputs invited the start of the move and the increase in prices, otherwise they would not be able to pay their staff.
Other measures to address the economic situation were also being evaluated. Restaurant owners would be considering removing the most expensive dishes from the menu and those that require currently scarce inputs. In this way, Chávez pointed out that the businesses most affected would be those that sell ceviche or grilled chicken, since they have no substitutes.
“We are hurting ourselves, we have to pay rent, taxes and the government is not providing solutions,” he said.
On the other hand, these measures would also affect workers. “If I have seven people in my kitchen and now I will remove 40% of the dishes, then I have to adjust my form,” he explained.
And even with the curfew decreed for April 5, losses of 10% of the month's sales were reported in restaurants.
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