PAULATUK
Northwest Company representatives say a $14.29 head of romaine lettuce at the Northern Store in Paulatuk was the result of a pricing mistake.
Jackie Milne, the president of the Territorial Farmers Association, rakes a raised bed during a gardening workshop in Fort Simpson. Milne says Northerners can combat the cost of food in the NWT by growing their own. - NNSL file photo |
"There was a keying error, which took place when the information was changed on the product," Connie Tamoto, manager of corporate communications, stated in an e-mail to News/North. "The stores affected are being advised of the error and an adjustment is being made to the price."
In a follow up e-mail, Tamoto stated the price had been adjusted on March 22 to $8.09 after the error was discovered. Five customers purchased the lettuce at the wrong price.
David Chatyrbok, vice president of procurement and marketing, said those customers will be reimbursed if they bring a receipt back to the store.
Chatyrbok said the company was made aware of the error around March 14 or 15.
He said he believed the error was only in effect for a few days.
"I think it would have been a day or two," he said.
News/North became aware of the price on March 7.
When asked how many other stores were affected by the mistake, Chatyrbok did not provide a number.
"No, we didn't look at that, as soon as it was brought to our attention, we went and looked at all of our stores and revised that pricing," he said. "We checked all of our stores, I don't know if all were affected, but we did go back and look at our pricing."
A follow up e-mail sent to Tamoto asking how many other stores were affected by the error, where those stores were located and whether the price in Paulatuk was corrected within two days was not returned by press time.
Chatyrbok said while the price in Paulatuk was a mistake, the cost of lettuce and other produce increased throughout North America as the result of cold weather where crops are grown. Arizona and California are two of the biggest lettuce growers.
"There was significant commodity price changes in lettuce, which has been well documented due to crop failures, cold and the frost damages that occurred," Chatyrbok said. "The price of lettuce fluctuates every single week and it can be substantial depending on what's happening with the commodity pricing."
The cost of lettuce increased by 25 per cent in February, according to the United States Department of Agriculture.
Jackie Milne, president of the Territorial Farmers' Association, said she agreed prices are increasing.
"It's not just the prices here," she said. "This is something across the board, but of course it's amplified here."
Milne said learning to grow produce at home can help take the sting out of grocery bills, especially in the North.
"There are things like lettuce, we can grow those types of things indoors, they take a very small space," she said. "Lettuce really doesn't need a lot of light."
She said lettuce and other greens can grow in a small window box garden with a 13-watt LED grow light bulb.
"Turn it on for a few hours to supplement the light and you could have little fresh greens," she said.
Milne said there are a variety of ways Northerners can supplement their diets and her message is simple.
"Learn to eat the foods that grow here and that we can preserve here," she said.
