Start of the year with prices in motion: fruits, meats, and coffee register increases

Santo Domingo. – In the first week of January, merchants, buyers and housewives report increases in the prices of some products of the basic basket, a situation that begins to be felt in the markets and points of sale of the country after the closing of the festive period. Consulted vendors indicated that fruits such as pineapple and watermelon have registered increases compared to last year. Miguel Ángel Tavera, a merchant, explained that prices have experienced notable variations. “The pineapple has gone up a bit. Last year it cost approximately 100 pesos and now it’s at 125. The watermelon, which used to sell for about 250 pesos, is now around 350. And so, little by little, several products have gone up,” he detailed.

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However, some consumers believe that prices remain stable. Isabel, a regular shopper, stated that she has not noticed any major changes.
“I really see all the prices the same. For me, everything is the same,” she expressed.

Other citizens claim that the biggest impact has been felt in meats. Ramóna Nova pointed out that these products have become difficult to acquire for many families.
“Meats have gone up almost across the board. Sometimes it’s impossible to buy them. Fruits are more or less holding steady, but meat is very expensive”, she commented.

From the perspective of merchants, the adjustments respond to a recurring dynamic at the beginning of the year. A seller explained that it is common for price adjustments to occur after the holidays. “That’s customary. At the beginning of the year there are always adjustments. Coffee, for example, recently went up about 35 pesos per pound. The strange thing is that it had already gone up almost 50 pesos about two months ago and now it has increased again. We don’t know if it’s due to the international market or production,” he indicated, while warning that other products could experience increases in the coming weeks. In the markets, slight increases are also reported in products such as lemon, orange, and avocado. Ángel, a merchant, explained that some of these items have increased between two and five pesos. “Lemon and orange have gone up about two or three pesos, and avocado about five pesos,” he said. While some shoppers opt for supermarkets, where they claim prices remain more stable, others continue to adjust their purchases in the face of rising prices for certain products. The population hopes that prices will stabilize as the month progresses and the flow of production and distribution normalizes after the end-of-year festivities.