Mangoa Mosota And Jane Akinyi
6 May 2008
Nairobi — PRICES of fish and farm produce have hit an unprecedented high in Kisumu due to shortages.
Fish consumers will dig deeper into their pockets after traders tripled prices citing high cost of transport and fishing implements.
A spot check by The Standard yesterday showed that tilapia, which previously sold at Sh150, was going for Sh450.
"When it rains, roads are impassable and supply diminishes. We are forced to increase prices to make profits," said a fish seller in Kisumu town.
Some outlets have taken advantage of the situation and are selling tilapia at Sh500.
Prices of obambla, a popular dried fish delicacy, have also shot up from Sh25 to Sh60.
Ms Nelly Ayuma, a trader at Oile Market, says she has lost some customers who can't afford the delicacy.
"I am thinking of relocating to Kakamega where I can sell fish and make a profit," she says.
A kilogramme of omena is now selling for Sh120 up from for Sh5. The price has also been affected by the annual three month ban on harvesting fish from Lake Victoria.
Ayuma said the cost of fuel used to power fishing boats had also gone up further affecting the dagaa prices.
Carrot traders said they had not received supplies. "Our suppliers from Nakuru have told us to wait until Wednesday (tomorrow)," said Ms Joanne Namakangala, a trader at Jubilee market.
Another trader, Mr Ishmael Inonda, said he was selling the little stock he had at Sh70 per kilo. This is more than 100 per cent price increase.
The cost of potatoes, tomatoes and coriander (dhania) has almost doubled.
The wholesale price of a crate of tomatoes is Sh4,000, up from Sh2,000 in December last year.
"We get tomatoes from Narok and Uganda. There is a shortage due to post-election violence which affected farming," said Ms Mary Ogembo, a trader at Kibuye Market.
Ogembo said the wholesale price of a bunch of coriander is now Sh150, up from Sh50.
A sack of potatoes was selling at Sh3,800, a 47 per cent increase from an average of Sh2,000, before the post-election skirmishes.
A two-kilogramme tin of nyayo beans was retailing at Sh150, up from Sh100 four months ago, while the same quantity of maize was being sold at Sh60, up from Sh30.
The food shortage is a boon to some traders, who are smiling all the way to the bank.
"My daily profit was Sh1,000 last year, but now I make about Sh3,000," Ogembo told The Standard.
Agriculture minister, Mr William Ruto, recently warned that the country's 3.8 million tonnes of strategic food reserves would be consumed in four months.
The high cost of food has been cited as one the causes of the high inflation rate, which stands at 26 per cent.
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Was this article really written by the standard? Before election you were saying it was the government which was increasing the prizes to fund its election campagns. You could not even see the prizes of crude oil was rising internationally what has changed?