Business

Farmers Face Mounting Losses as Demand and Prices Plummet for Cassava, Maize, and Matooke

What you need to know:

  • Desperation is evident at the Busia border, where maize dealers are left with huge quantities of maize in storage due to declining demand from Kenya, leading to significant losses as the produce deteriorates.
  • Richard Wesonga, chairperson of the Busia produce dealers, reports that maize sales have plummeted over the past three months, attributing this to the lower price of Tanzanian maize, which sells for between Shs500 to Shs600 per kilo compared to Shs880 for Ugandan maize.

Farmers across various regions of the country are experiencing significant losses due to a sharp decline in demand and prices for commodities such as cassava, maize, and matooke.

They report a noticeable drop in sales over the past three months.

In the Teso sub-region, Mbarara, and at the Busia border, farmers are struggling to find buyers for their produce, with many stuck with large quantities of maize, cassava, and matooke.

At the Busia border, the situation is exacerbated by a reduction in purchases by Kenyan companies, which are now opting for cheaper Tanzanian maize over Ugandan maize.

Desperation is evident at the Busia border, where maize dealers are left with huge quantities of maize in storage due to declining demand from Kenya, leading to significant losses as the produce deteriorates.

Richard Wesonga, chairperson of the Busia produce dealers, reports that maize sales have plummeted over the past three months, attributing this to the lower price of Tanzanian maize, which sells for between Shs500 to Shs600 per kilo compared to Shs880 for Ugandan maize.

“Most of our customers in neighboring Kenya have turned to Tanzanian maize because it is cheaper, and our produce is rotting in the stores,” Wesonga said.

As a result, the number of trucks coming from Kenya to purchase maize has decreased from over 100 per day to just 20 to 30 trucks.

In Teso and Mbarara, many farmers are in distress, with their livelihoods threatened by the falling prices.

The government and agricultural authorities are urged to intervene and address the challenges facing the cassava sector in the Teso sub-region.

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