By Nasratu Kargbo
Sierra Leone’s capital Freetown recently experienced a sudden hike in the price of pepper which according to many consumers affected their budget for food in their homes.
The inflated price of pepper started a day before the Muslim end of fasting feast (Eid-Ul-Fitr) holiday during which it was sold at 10, 000 Leones per cup from Le 2,000 in some local markets.
Speaking to Politico, Rakiatu Kargbo a resident at the Jui Community explains her frustration: “Firstly everyone knows that Jui market is expensive, to this increase is a plus. The price of pepper was 10,000 Leones a day before Eid and even days after the holiday, presently Okra is sold at 9,000 or 8,000 Leones according to its freshness,” she said.
She added: “Even the cup is not a full one. This has affected me greatly especially because my family and I eat a lot of pepper. Just imagine buying three cups of pepper at that price; how much money would be left?” She said most times the pepper is not even that spicy because it is full of greens.
Pa Kamara a trader at the Calaba town market claimed that he has been into the pepper business since the era of the war. He said that pepper does not have a constant price. “It is not our fault; the price fluctuates, we increase prices of pepper here because of the price we buy. Few days to Eid we bought pepper 1,500,000 or 1,400,000 per bag so we sold at 10,000 per cup.Now we buy at 1,200,000 or 1,100,000 that is why the pepper price reduced to 7,000 to 6,000”, the trader stated.
Martha Mansaray a resident of Gray Bush Acension Town said she buys at smaller quantity and sell in her community. “I buy pepper per cup and when I get home, I share them into different portions and sell. So I sell Le1, 000 when the pepper price falls, few days back before and just after the Eid I bought pepper at Le10, 000 and sold at Le2, 000. The size of what I use to sell at Le1, 000 is what I now sell at Le 2, 000,” she said
She argued that the increment is as a result of shortage of pepper and that those who have pepper take advantage of the situation and sell at a higher price.
This hike in price of the ever present ingredient in meals came weeks after the country celebrated a drop in inflation to a single digit.
Copyright © 2021 Politico Online
