Regional demand keeps food prices up
Feb 24, 2007
KATALE WATCH<br><br>CONSTANT demand for beans, maize flour, rice and groundnuts in the neighbouring countries has kept prices high, the weekly survey has shown.
KATALE WATCH
By Ibrahim Kasita
CONSTANT demand for beans, maize flour, rice and groundnuts in the neighbouring countries has kept prices high, the weekly survey has shown.
Robert Mugisa, a trader at Nakasero Market explained: “Most of the food items are going to Kenya, DR Congo and southern Sudan yet the supply is low because most harvests got spoilt during the recent rains.â€
He elaborated: “There is high demand in these countries especially southern Sudan which has the best market rates.â€
Southern Sudan is increasingly becoming the target for organisations and individual traders looking for new markets in the Great Lakes region while Uganda has predominantly remained the major source for foodstuffs for the regional population.
“This has forced traders to buy directly from the farmers, leaving us with little supply, †Mugisa added.
He explained that this, coupled with high demand in schools for posho and beans, had pushed food prices up.â€
Beans was sold between sh1,300 and sh1,400 from sh1,000 a kilo, while maize flour was sold at sh800 from sh700 a kilo.
Rice was sold at sh1,600 from sh1,500 a kilo and maize went for sh300 a kilo.
Groundnuts and simsim were sold at sh1,800 a kilo.
However, millet flour began flocking the market since it is the harvest period and a kilo was sold at sh700.
Irish potatoes, cassava and sweet potatoes kept flocking the market and a heap was sold between sh300 and sh600 from the previous week.
By Ibrahim Kasita
CONSTANT demand for beans, maize flour, rice and groundnuts in the neighbouring countries has kept prices high, the weekly survey has shown.
Robert Mugisa, a trader at Nakasero Market explained: “Most of the food items are going to Kenya, DR Congo and southern Sudan yet the supply is low because most harvests got spoilt during the recent rains.â€
He elaborated: “There is high demand in these countries especially southern Sudan which has the best market rates.â€
Southern Sudan is increasingly becoming the target for organisations and individual traders looking for new markets in the Great Lakes region while Uganda has predominantly remained the major source for foodstuffs for the regional population.
“This has forced traders to buy directly from the farmers, leaving us with little supply, †Mugisa added.
He explained that this, coupled with high demand in schools for posho and beans, had pushed food prices up.â€
Beans was sold between sh1,300 and sh1,400 from sh1,000 a kilo, while maize flour was sold at sh800 from sh700 a kilo.
Rice was sold at sh1,600 from sh1,500 a kilo and maize went for sh300 a kilo.
Groundnuts and simsim were sold at sh1,800 a kilo.
However, millet flour began flocking the market since it is the harvest period and a kilo was sold at sh700.
Irish potatoes, cassava and sweet potatoes kept flocking the market and a heap was sold between sh300 and sh600 from the previous week.