Havana market sees steep price swings for onions and peppers

Dagoberto Pedraja, a Cuban musician in his late 60s, bought an onion for 910 pesos at the Línea y L market in Havana’s Vedado neighborhood. He then found a cheaper price of 400 pesos from a vendor known locally as “the criminal,” along with a pepper for 300 and two potatoes for 310 pesos.

Pedraja posted his frustration on Facebook, sparking reactions from other shoppers who reported prices of 2,100 pesos for a single onion and 2,145 pesos for two. In Playa, onions reach 1,800 pesos per pound, while the 13th Street market offers them at 1,500 pesos per pound. Other items include four small peppers at 500 pesos and a cachucha pepper at 350 pesos.

The Provincial Delegation of Agriculture in Havana set an official price of 180 pesos per pound for dry onions at city fairs, but consumer prices often exceed 1,000 pesos per pound. Inflation reached 20.70% in July, with food prices rising 26.36% annually, according to the National Office of Statistics and Information. The Council of Ministers’ Decree 161, published on September 9, removed the regulatory floor for consumers and allows price setting by mutual agreement.

Read the full story at cubaheadlines.com.