Watermelon: A $55 Price Tag

A northern community in Labrador (Canada) made the CBC news recently due to a watermelon, no less. The entire community was stunned over the $55 price tag. Needless to say, no one in the community was able to purchase it at that price! It sat on the store shelf in Nain for 3 days before suddenly disappearing. It's still not known what happened to it, as store managers won't say. However, it's highly doubtful that anyone bought the expensive, luxury watermelon.

The store manager did say that the price on the watermelon should have been marked as being $38, but still, at that price no one would have been able to afford the pricey fruit. And if the price "should" have read $38, then why did the store sticker read $55? Maybe "someone" was trying to make a huge profit at someone else's expense!

Unfortunately, many communities across Canada pay higher prices than most Canadian cities, due to their remoteness. Because the communities have smaller populations and are very often hard to get to, due to terrain and distance from major cities, the cost of delivering food, supplies and other necessities is very expensive, and even moreso now because of the high cost of fuel. Of course, these costs are then added to each and every item in the stores in these communities.

It does make sense, in an economically feasible sort of way. After all, when companies have to deliver less quantities (due to the smaller populations) to towns and villages, yet deliver to more areas, it comes at great cost to them. Most items must be shipped by air, as there are few roads leading to the more remote areas. These companies need to recoup their costs and still make a profit, which is very understandable.

The Canadian government does assist by subsidizing many items, in order for these communities to be able to afford the basics that they need, and sustain a daily existence. However, this also means that the people might not be getting much need nutrients, due TO the high prices. They often live on limited incomes and to purchase fruits and vegetables, which are luxury items to the more northern communities, that groceries alone can take up so much of their income. It can create very unfortunate circumstances to say the least. Sadly, they are not always able to purchase Vitamin C enriched produce, especially when they are taken advantage of in this manner!

Of course, the people have become accustomed to paying the higher prices, but a $55 watermelon? This was even a bit too much for them. It would be interesting to find out what happened to the high priced, disappearing fruit.