Coronation Market Produce Costs Jump as Onions Reach $400 per Pound

KINGSTON, Jamaica — With living costs still climbing and supermarket receipts putting more pressure on household budgets, Market Bag has launched a fresh season of weekly reports on produce prices from markets across Jamaica.

The season opener sees host Carlysia Ramdeen joined by shopper and entrepreneur Angella Byfield, who said she is already feeling the squeeze from higher food prices in supermarkets.

A walk through downtown Kingston's Coronation Market showed clear increases on several items. Onions were going for as much as $400 per pound, lettuce was listed at $600, and ginger at $500.

Byfield said she has been changing how she shops, swapping out certain products where she can to keep her grocery bill manageable. "If the prices are too expensive, then I switch to something else. For ginger, I'll probably switch to buying liquid ginger," she said, adding, "It is significantly cheaper at the market and…you have a wider, fresher selection."

The new Market Bag season runs on the outlet's digital platforms.