PLENTY of foodstuffs continue to flow into Kampala’s major markets despite the fuel shortage, a weekly mini-survey has shown.
Trucks full of maize, beans, groundnuts, peas, millet, cassava, tomatoes, onions and rice are offloaded at Nakasero, St. Balikuddembe, Kalwere, Nakawa and Nateete markets early in the morning everyday.
“It is harvest season and there is still more. Producers are selling off their harvests to take back their children to school. We have had good harvests because of the rains we experienced last year,” Robert Mugisa, a trader in Nakasero Market, said.
“But the fuel shortage has slowed down the flow of the items because transporters tend to hike prices, affecting retail prices. We have maintained our price but normally, prices should have come down with such improved harvests.”
Other traders said retailers were disposing of old stock by lowering prices.
At St. Balikuddembe Market, beans went down to sh1,000 from sh1,300 a kilogramme. Peas were sold at sh1,500 a kilogramme, while maize was sold at sh300 from sh500.
Maize flour was sold at between sh500 and sh700 a kilogramme. Tomatoes were sold at sh500 and sh700, while millet flour was sold at sh800.
At Nakasero, maize flour was sold at sh800, beans sh1,500, while rice was at sh1,200. Peas were sold at sh2,000 and groundnuts sh1,800. A bunch of matooke was sold at between sh4,000 and sh7,000.
A heap of cassava was sold at sh500.
However, the traders said preparations for the new school calendar had increased the demand for maize flour, beans and rice.
Primary, secondary and tertiary institutions are stocking foodstuffs in plenty and some of them have already opened for the first term.
