City food prices up
Dec 22, 2009
Food prices in the city have risen by up to 40% as Christmas draws close, according to a survey by The New Vision conducted in some of the major markets in Kampala.
By Jeff Lule, Susan Akidi and Abou Kisige
Food prices in the city have risen by up to 40% as Christmas draws close, according to a survey by The New Vision conducted in some of the major markets in Kampala.
At Nakaseero Market, a bunch of matooke now costs between sh15,000 and sh35,000, up from between sh13,000 and sh25,000.
The chairman of matooke vendors, Abdu Salim Luyimbazi, explained that most of the food is now imported from Tanzania.
“We get little matooke from the western region. The rest comes from Tanzania. We pay a lot of taxes in addition to high transport expenses,†he said.
Other food prices, too, have gone up. A tin of sweet potatoes now goes for sh12,000, up from sh8,000. Onions range between sh1,500 and sh2,000 a kilogramme. Local chicken shot up to sh25,000 from about sh15,000, while the exotic type increased from an average of sh17,000 to sh28,000.
A turkey is sold at sh75,000 up from sh60,000, while meat now costs between sh5,000 and sh6,000 a kilogramme.
At Owino Market, beans now cost sh3,000 a kilogramme, up from sh2,000, while peas shot up to sh5,000 from sh3,500.
The traders also attribute the high prices of food items like cassava to short supply as a result of export to neighbouring countries.
However, prices of fruits and other items, such as rice, sugar, Irish potatoes, pineapples, tomatoes and cooking oil have remained stable.
Food prices in the city have risen by up to 40% as Christmas draws close, according to a survey by The New Vision conducted in some of the major markets in Kampala.
At Nakaseero Market, a bunch of matooke now costs between sh15,000 and sh35,000, up from between sh13,000 and sh25,000.
The chairman of matooke vendors, Abdu Salim Luyimbazi, explained that most of the food is now imported from Tanzania.
“We get little matooke from the western region. The rest comes from Tanzania. We pay a lot of taxes in addition to high transport expenses,†he said.
Other food prices, too, have gone up. A tin of sweet potatoes now goes for sh12,000, up from sh8,000. Onions range between sh1,500 and sh2,000 a kilogramme. Local chicken shot up to sh25,000 from about sh15,000, while the exotic type increased from an average of sh17,000 to sh28,000.
A turkey is sold at sh75,000 up from sh60,000, while meat now costs between sh5,000 and sh6,000 a kilogramme.
At Owino Market, beans now cost sh3,000 a kilogramme, up from sh2,000, while peas shot up to sh5,000 from sh3,500.
The traders also attribute the high prices of food items like cassava to short supply as a result of export to neighbouring countries.
However, prices of fruits and other items, such as rice, sugar, Irish potatoes, pineapples, tomatoes and cooking oil have remained stable.