Kisumu
Wednesday May 29 2024
KNA by Victor Seda and Marion Atieno
The price of fresh food items in Kisumu City has gone up significantly over the last two weeks following the recent floods which destroyed stocks and disrupted the supply chain.
A spot check carried out by KNA revealed that the cost of kales (sukuma wiki) has doubled from Sh3,000 per sack to Sh6,000 while that of spinach has shot to Sh3,000 per sack up from Sh1,500.
The price of potatoes which was going at Sh3,000 per sack has increased to Sh4,000 with traders at major markets in the city counting losses since the product was not moving.
Two kilograms of onions which was going at Sh 180 has increased to Sh 200 while the price of 2kg yellow beans which retailed at Sh 450 has been raised to Sh 550.
The price of Rosecoco beans has also risen from Sh350 to Sh 400 while that of Sardines (Omena) which retailed at Sh.350 per 2kg has shot to Sh500.
Caroline Atieno, a trader at Jubilee market said flooding which destroyed some of the stalls at the market has led to the shift in prices.
She said the regular delivery of some of the commodities has been affected by the floods which damaged access roads and other infrastructure.
Some of the commodities like potatoes, she said, get to the market when they have gone bad making it difficult for the traders to sell and make profit.
According to the county government of Kisumu, the floods left behind a trail of destruction with acres of crops swept away.
Several households in the flood prone areas also lost food stocks worth Sh12.7 million.
This has affected food security in the area and is likely to continue influencing the prices of the commodities until the supply is stabilised.
George Odhiambo, a juice vendor at Jubilee Market said traders have been hit by the sudden change in prices urging the government to intervene and cushion them.
The traders, he said, must be given incentives and access to low interest loans to weather the devastating effects of floods.
Courtesy: KNA