By Stephen Nuwagira
Vegetable buyers in Ibanda have fortunes to share as prices for some items have dropped while others went up over the past three weeks.
For instance, tomatoes are lower at between sh20,000 and 25,000 per basin compared to sh30,000 mid-May. A dish of tomatoes costs sh8,000 compared to sh12,000 and a bundle of five big tomatoes costs sh1,000, down from sh2,000.
Maclean Kanohire, a vendor at Saza Market, Ibanda town attributed the decrease in prices to over supply from Lyantonde, Rakai and neighbouring district vendors, who were cut off from the Kampala market by the impassable road.
The price of onions dropped by sh10,000 to trade at sh45,000 each basin; a dish costs sh10,000 and retail buyers pay sh1,500 for a big bundle of onions as the new crop that has hit the market.
Kanohire however says the current prices (for onions) are high compared to last season’s new crop when a basin was at sh25,000 and a dish cost sh7,000. She added that supply was low due to a poor harvest, projecting a quick jump in rates in coming weeks.
Cabbages, carrots up
However, cabbages will cost you more at sh3,000 to 4,000 per head, up from sh2,000 previously. Small head cabbages are going for sh1,000 to sh1,500 each. Vendors attribute the rise in prices to low supply because of the current dry spell in Ibanda and surrounding districts.
Four medium-size carrots are going for sh2,000, increasing from sh1,000 over the reporting period. Three small carrots cost sh1,000. One will get four green peppers at sh2,000 compared to four green peppers for sh1,000 previously. Sylvia Katushabe, a vegetable vendor in the market, says the worst is yet to come as the dry conditions continue. She projects three pieces of carrot or green pepper to cost sh2,000 by July due to dwindling supply.
