Museveni cassava talk pushes prices up in Busoga

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Museveni cassava talk pushes prices up in Busoga
Museveni cassava talk pushes prices up in Busoga

Africa-Press – Uganda. The price of cassava and [cassava] flour has gone through the roof in Busoga Sub-region following President Museveni’s advise to Ugandans to eat cassava as an alternative to bread, whose price has gone up due to disruptions in wheat supply.

The President made the proclamation on May 1, while addressing senior government officials, security operatives and workers’ representatives, among other Ugandans who gathered at Kololo ceremonial grounds to celebrate Labour Day.

Mr Museveni said: “If there is no bread, eat muwogo (cassava). Africans really confuse themselves. You’re complaining that there’s no bread or wheat, please eat muwogo. I don’t eat bread myself.”

While Mr Museveni seemed to dash hopes of many vulnerable citizens who were still counting on his government to initiate short-term interventions to cushion them against the skyrocketing prices of essential commodities, farmers have hailed the President for the talk which has seen the prices of raw cassava and cassava flour increase over the past week

Mr Ayub Kitamirike, the chairman of Amber court market in Jinja City said that in the immediate aftermath of President Museveni’s advice [to Ugandans to eat cassava], its price has increased.

“Before Museveni addressed Ugandans on Labour Day, a sack of cassava was going for Shs80,000; however, after his speech, it jumped to Shs120,000 and is now going for Shs130,000 as I speak,” Mr Kitamirike said, adding that whoever currently has a cassava garden is sitting on a “gold mine”.

Ugandans brace for hard times as commodity prices soar

Mr Booza Waiswa, a boda boda rider and resident of Danida Village in Danida-Masese, Jinja South division, said he used to buy a kilogramme of cassava flour for his family from Kazimingi market at Shs1,300, but that, too, has increased to Shs1,700.

In Kamuli district, Mr Herbert Ntende, a resident of Kasolwe, and supplier of fresh cassava to Iganga and Tirinyi among other destinations, said from the time the President urged Ugandans to eat cassava, he became their marketer which has seen his supply rise from five to 12 bags daily.

According to Mr Ntende, nowadays passengers along Iganga-Mbale Highway stop and ask for “two Museveni diets”, meaning two pieces of roasted cassava and it has since become a trade name for cassava sellers.

Mr Ntende, who grows cassava on a large scale and has bought two Tuku tukus from the crop which he uses to transport bags of cassava for sale, is appreciative to Mr Museveni for his “wakeup call”, which has seen the price rise by 15 percent and demand doubling.

Mr Richard Musenero, the Kamuli District Production Officer, says cassava is an all-weather food and cash crop. “The farmers along the cattle corridor in Kamuli and Buyende use cassava for multiple roles as food, starch, brewing waragi [local potent gin] and lately, cassava chips,” he added.

According to Mr Musenero, once farmers put value addition to cassava, it is going to be more profitable than maize and sugarcane.

Ms Florence Nakaima, popularly known as Mama Katogo in Kamuli, said every evening, she boils two saucepans full of cassava katogo [mixture with beans] and sells it at KBS radio Stage, Mulago Hospital and barracks at only Shs500, but is contemplating increasing the price due to a surge in demand.

Mr Hussein Mitala Hussein, the chairman Kamuli Primary Schools Head teachers’ Association, hailed cassava for sustaining UPE pupils, saying it roasted at night and carried to school as lunch pack

“Cassava is an easy lunch pack for pupils in schools and children carry it, share it with friends and drink water from the borehole and lunch is done,” he said.

In Namutumba district, Ms Masitula Nabirye, a raw cassava seller in Namutumba Central Market, said the price of cassava has risen from Shs2,000 to Shs3,000 per heap. “Cassava prices are rising every day because its demand is high,” she said.

Ms Grace Mulage, another cassava vendor in the same market, said she has sold cassava for the past ten years but the prices have never been as high as they are now. “After prices of maize flour rose to Shs3,000 per kilogramme, people resorted to eating cassava [flour] as a substitute,” she said.

Mr Waiswa Magambo, who sells cassava flour, said last month, a kilogramme was going for Shs1,200, but it is currently going to Shs1,900.

Bread shunned

While cassava sellers are hailing Mr Museveni for the windfall, Mr Jafari Bwanika, who operates a shop in Namutumba Town Council, said bread is being shunned.

“Very few customers are buying bread despite its prices not changing. The bread business might become seasonal where we shall only see people buying it on Eid, Easter and Christmas Days,” he said.

Ms Annet Neka, the Namutumba district secretary of production, who is also the female councilor representing Nawaikona Sub-county, said Mr Museveni’s speech will be a wakeup call to residents who had for long shunned growing cassava.

“For many years, farmers did not grow cassava on a large scale, but only planted groundnuts and rice; maybe that will change following the President’s Labour Day speech,” she said.

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