Marcory market: food staple prices climb, led by tomatoes and onions

At Marcory's main market this Tuesday morning, a heap of tomatoes sold for 1,000 FCFA, up from 500 FCFA in early September, according to prices collected from six traders. Onions are following the same trend: a kilo has risen from 600 to 900 FCFA in three weeks. Local rice, attiéké and plantain, however, remain broadly stable.

Traders attribute the rise to the heavy rains of recent weeks in producing areas, which disrupted the tomato harvest and its transport, and to the cost of trucking produce from inland. Part of the onions sold in Abidjan also come from neighbouring countries, making them sensitive to delays at the borders.

Shoppers are mostly buying smaller quantities rather than switching markets. Some traders now offer half-heaps to keep their customers, at the cost of a thinner margin. They expect prices to ease with the next harvests, without being able to say when.

What the creator verified this Tuesday: the prices displayed by six traders in three aisles of the market, for tomatoes, onions, local rice, attiéké and plantain. What remains to be confirmed: how far the rise extends to other Abidjan markets and how long it will last.