Banana prices hiking

Ask any person, especially in Buganda and Western Uganda, what they consider as their staple food and they will most probably say matooke.
However, our survey conducted early this week from various markets shows that the price of matooke is increasing.

Experts attribute this to the deadly banana bacterial wilt and the current dry spell which has hit major producing districts.

Whereas the districts of Sheema, Mbarara and Bushenyi have recorded bumper harvests, the story is different in Masaka, Mpigi, Rakai and Lwengo for the latter have experienced crop failure due to the banana bacterial wilt.

Masaka
Michael Ssali, a veteran farmer cum journalist, says the situation in Masaka is worse.
Ssali blames the high price on scarcity which was caused by deadly banana bacterial wilt.

“Most banana farms have been attacked by the wilt which sucks everything from the plants. Some of us are not surprised by the scarcity because we anticipated it,” says Ssali, who adds, “Because of the wilt, the prices here are volatile, for example a mature bunch at Nyendo and Masaka markets goes for Shs30, 000 which is miles above the normal price of Shs12, 000.”

Kireka
Zairah Nambirige, a trader at farmers’ market in Kireka, attributes the hike to low supplies from the farmers.
“The supply is getting low. Farmers claim most bananas are ripening in the gardens because of heat,” said Nambirige who has hiked the unit cost of the bunch to Shs25, 000.

“Two months ago, I would sell the same bunch at Shs20, 000 but that is no more. The farmers who sell to us on wholesale have since increased the prices,” Nambirige further adds.
“The retail price depends on purchase price from the farmers. We anticipate the high prices to last two months,” said Rosemary Nantale, another retailer at the farmer’s market.

Middlemen
William Mwegombi, of Presidential Initiative on Banana Industrial Development, attributes the hiking to transportation and profit oriented middlemen who supply several urban centres.

“We live with the farmers and I can assure you the Matooke on ground is so much. Farmers are even forced to sell at a rock-bottom price in fear of keeping it to ripen. The middleman has it in his calendar that the period of June to August is for profiteering. They get the matooke at a giveaway price and shamelessly cheat the consumer in Kampala,” said Mwegombi who is into value addition of the banana fruit.

“The situation will go on until the end of this dry spell probably late August,” he adds.
“We are now advising the farmers to embrace value addition which in the long run will eliminate the middlemen cheats,” says Mwegombi.

Katwe
Hajjat Sydah Nalongo of Katwe market attributes the hike in the prices to demand.
“On average I am selling out by 2pm, the demand is high so we are forced to respond by increasing a little. Our customers are happy and we will continue to supply them with fresh matooke which comes in daily from Western Uganda,” she said.

In Katwe according to Nalongo, the highest price for a bunch is Shs30, 000.
Sheema
Unlike Kampala markets, the prices of the banana in several upcountry trade centres especially the major producing districts of western Uganda have hit record lows. For example, in Bushenyi a big and mature bunch costs between Shs5, 000 and Shs8, 000.
Johnson Musinguzi, who is one of the leading farmers from Sheema District attributes the low prices to the bumper harvest which is sand witched with excessive dry spell.
“The farmers are stuck with their bananas so they resort to what we call giveaway prices,” said Musinguzi.