Eid feast pushes up food prices

Sep 14, 2010

BEEF is a delicacy for many Ugandans, especially during festive seasons. Almost 90% of Ugandans enjoy a home or outdoor dish of meat stew or snack during such seasons. This leaves a few, especially the Muslim community to the goat meat and mutton (sheep meat) as their favourite.

Beef on high demand

BEEF is a delicacy for many Ugandans, especially during festive seasons. Almost 90% of Ugandans enjoy a home or outdoor dish of meat stew or snack during such seasons. This leaves a few, especially the Muslim community to the goat meat and mutton (sheep meat) as their favourite.

Beef is on demand in many restaurants and hotels. It is used as recipe for meat samosas, sausages, hotdogs, pizzas, hamburgs, burgers and many more snacks or dishes.

In Uganda, beef farmers do not only enjoy returns from the local market, but also from the outside market. They can sell their meat to the neighbouring countries like Southern Sudan, Burundi and Democratic Republic of Congo.

By September 9, the price of beef had gone up by sh2,000 and sh1,000. In Kalerwe market, beef prices shot up to sh5,000 from sh4,600.

As beef prices shot up, so did the price for goats meat and the liver. A kilo of goat meat that had previously been selling at sh6000 in Kalerwe market went up by sh1000. At the same market, a kilo of liver shot up by sh2000 from sh7000.

In Nakasero market, a kilo of meat was going for sh6000 while the price for liver was sh7000.

In Hoima the price remained stable. A kilo of meat was going for sh4000, while goats meat remained at sh6000. Meat dealers told Harvest Money that the prices would last until Eid day, after which the price would stabilise.

Chicken
By September 9, the price for chicken had gone up by between sh2,000 and sh5000. Local chicken that was going for sh9000 sold at sh11, 000, while the well built broilers that were previously going for sh20,000 shot up 25,000 in Owino.

In Kalerwe Market local chicken that sold at sh12, 000 by September 6, has risen to sh15, 000 by September 9. Off-layers that cost at sh8,000 before September 9, shot up by sh2000.
Vendors in Kalerwe blamed the rise in price on the high demand of chicken during the Muslim festivities (Eid day).

Tomatoes
The price of tomatoes whose season comes twice a year (February -June and August-December) has dropped in several markets around the city.
In Kalerwe Market, a tomato trader told Harvest Money that they now buy a box of small tomatoes at sh35,000 and a box of big tomatoes at sh45,000 down from sh120,000.

A big bowl (katasa) of tomatoes that was at sh10,000 is now at sh7000-sh8000. A medium size bowl that was previously at sh8000-sh7000 now goes for sh5000, while the small-size dish of tomatoes has dropped to sh3,500 from sh5000. In Nakasero, a small dish that was at sh6000 in March now goes for sh4000, while the big size bowl is now at sh8000 down from sh10,000.
However, the story is different elsewhere. In Hoima a dish of tomatoes that cost sh7000 is now at sh15, 000.

Smoked fish
In Kalerwe Market, the price of smoked fish has dropped. A medium size tilapia that cost sh7000 a week ago is now at 5000. A small Nile perch that sold at sh5000 a week ago is now at sh3000.
Fish vendors attribute the drop to the on-going drainage construction which has made their stalls inaccessible to their customers.

One vendor said he used to buy fish worth sh200,000 at the beginning of the week, and by the end of the week he would have already sold sh150,000 worth of fish. He, however, says since the drainage construction started, his sales have dropped. The vendors at the market also blame the low sales on the fasting and rainy season.

Rice
The price of rice has remained stable in all markets. Rice dealers attribute this to the steady supply of rice. In Owino Market, Super rice from Tanzania was going for sh1,500, while that from Uganda was between sh18,00-sh2,100.

In Kalerwe Market, Super rice from Uganda was going for sh2,000, while that from Tanzania was at sh1,500.
In Arua, rice prices dropped to sh2,200 retail price from sh2,500. Traders there blame the fall on the high competition from other rice types like Kaiso, Upland and Vietnam rice.

Matooke
In Hoima, matooke prices had gone up from sh3500 to sh7000.
However, in the Kampala markets, the prices remained stable during the Eid festival. In Kalerwe, one matooke trader said they did not increase the prices since by the time of Eid, the matooke price was already up owing to reduced supply from western Uganda.

Irish potatoes

Irish potatoes from Kisoro ran out in the Kampala markets, leaving only Mbale and Kabale Irish potatoes on the market. Dealers attribute this to the the scarcity of the Kisoro variety because it is a replanting season.

Vendors in Nakasero Market say they sold out all the last Kisoro produce last week. The big size tin from Kabale and Mbale was going for sh15,000.

In Katwe the situation was no different. By September 6, stocks for Kisoro Irish potatoes had also run out. The Mbale and Kabale Irish potatoes which were available were going for sh16,000 (Kabale) the big size tin and sh11,000 (Mbale).

Beans
Yellow beans price in Kalerwe market shot up to 2,500 from sh2000 by September 6. Sellers in this market blame this hike on the rainy season.

They say that most farmers are now holding on to their remaining produce to replant for the next harvest. In Owino the price has gone up 2,200. In Katwe market the prices are still at sh2,000.

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