Food Prices Drop in Mbale

There’s been a drastic drop in food prices in several districts of eastern Uganda.

Over the past two weeks, prices of foodstuffs have had unexpected slump at several open air markets in Mbale, Kapchorwa, Manafwa and Sironko.

Food stuff like Irish potatoes which two weeks ago was sold at 1,200 shillings per kilogram, now goes for a farm gate market price of 450 shillings while middlemen at Mbale Main Supermarket sale it at 500 shillings.

Diphas Wandukwa, a middleman explains that the slump in the prices is a result of a new harvest which came into the market in the last two weeks. He says that the arrival of the new harvest forced traders to cut the prices of Irish, cabbages, tomatoes and watermelon.

Wandukwa however says the bumper harvest has affected their business because they now get a profit of only 50 shillings per kilogram because they buy at 450 and sell at 500 unlike two weeks ago, when they used to buy a kilogram at 800 and sell it at 1200 shillings.

But Siraj Mangali, a fruit vendor is cashing in on the drastic drop in the price of watermelon. He explains that two weeks ago he used to buy watermelon at 8000 shillings each and sell it at 10,000 shillings but now he spends only 4000 shillings buying it.

But the consumers are not excited about the drop in the prices of some food crops. Zainabu Najemba, a single mother of three from Namakwekwe ward says that much as the prices have dropped, she lacks the money to purchase food for her children. She says she would be excited if the price of posho and rice had also dropped.

The price of rice is currently ranges between 2600 to 3000 shillings in Mbale Main Market. But traders predict that the price of posho and rice will also drop in the coming days as the new harvest gets to the market.