This is published in the latest edition of Barometer; the Food Price Index that tracks monthly changes in the international prices of five food commodities: cereals, vegetable oils, dairy products, meat, and sugar. The index averaged 140.9 points in July, or 8.6 points down from June.
According to the latest survey by Twaweza’s Sauti Za Wanainchi, market prices for staple foods have risen sharply approaching levels of 2017 when the East Africa region experienced food insecurity due to drought.
While releasing the CPI for June 2020 on Tuesday, UBOS Director Macro-Economic Statistics Aliziki Kaudha Lubega indicated that prices of peas, Oranges, tangerine, lemon, Green Pepper, Eggs, French Beans, Onions, Pork, Malewa and unskimmed milk increased in June.
Traders have reacted by more than doubling the prices. Products like salt have seen their prices more than triple with traders saying they have run out of supply. Products like rice, beans, G. nuts and flour have had prices edged up a bit. The other reason could be that the supply for the food is now limited as people cut down on their movements.
Mark Loli, the Moroto District Agricultural Officer, says little has been achieved from the rains that the district received. He notes that most farmers planted late and water logging affected many gardens.
A sample of food prices in the precincts of Makerere University indicates that meals at basic restaurants cost between 3,000 and 4000 Shillings, far above the allocation by the university. The allocation is also not enough for meals at the low-end Kikoni restaurants, commonly known as kikumi-kikumi, where a meal costs 2500 Shillings.
At least 900 of the 2300 residents on Bufumira have migrated to the nearby sub counties of Bubeke in Kalangala District and Kituntu in Mpigi district. Sylvester Ssemugenyi, the LC I secretary Bufumira island, says currently no boat are allowed to fish.
Damaged roads caused by heavy rains have affected food and transport costs in Moroto town. By Monday evening, common food prices had shot up. A kilogramme of beans had jumped from 1600 to 2000 shillings; maize from 2800 to 3500 while super rice was at 4400 up from 3500 shillings. Tomatoes, onions and green vegetables were all up while supply of fresh cassava and sweet potatoes had gone down.
Seed production companies have come up with innovations to fight counterfeits that have infiltrated the market as Government fails to regulate the industry.
Every day, a herd of cattle, a pack of dogs, flock of goats and sheep as well as a drift of pigs are seen roaming in the town council and its neighborhoods traversing through markets, shops and across the streets.
David Kitanda, a Grain miller at Machitope Milling concern in Kisenyi, says there is a lot of speculation between the farm gate price and the mill gate, a factor that is pushing the price of maize flour skywards. According to Kitanda, one cannot be sure on the stability of the price of a kilo of maize, citing how the prices went up by a difference of 50 Shillings between Sunday and Monday.
Maize grain which is the major staple food has shot from 1800 to 2800 and from 2000 to 4000 shillings for second and first class grains. Cassava flour has jumped from 1000 to 2000 while rice goes at 5,000 from 3,500 shillings per kilogramme in December.
UBOS officials however revealed that during the Christmas period—from 20th to 24th December—prices on average rose by 3.3percent in Kampala. Almost all consumer goods during the period rose by significant portions, with Matooke increasing by 20.7%, Sweet potatoes by 11.7percent, meat by 8.5percent, goat meat 11.77percent, Avocado by 35.6percent, and transport fares by 16.31percent.
Kabuye explains that he has been stocking more 150 bunches of bananas each month but he can’t even raise 30 bunches now because the plantations are dry.
The figures released by Ubos indicate that prices of Matooke, Irish Potatoes, Cassava, sweet bananas, Oranges, Tangerines, Cabbage, Tomatoes, Fish, Milk and Sugar had all declined in November 2013, maintaining a trend that started in October 2013.
The Kibaale district informed the meeting that over 300 children below five years have been treated of various food deficiency diseases in the 55 health centres in the district.
Several hotels in Masaka have stopped serving buffets to their guests because of rising food prices. Some of the hotels are Golf Lane Hotel co-owned by Gerald Ssendaula and businessman Franco Mugabe, Hotel Brovad, Palm Spring Hotel, Vienna Guest House, and Tropic Inn Hotel.
