Nebbi produce dealers left in tatters out as fuel crisis bites

Produce dealers in Nebbi are counting losses as rising fuel prices have forced them to hike the cost of food.

Since rising fuel prices have a significant impact on food prices, customers are being forced to move long distances in search for cheaper prices.

Some of the traders who are unable to foot the transport costs have abandoned the produce businesses since transport costs are diverted to produce dealers by the transporters.

In Nebbi main market, a bunch of Matooke that used to cost Shs10,000 at the beginning of the month now goes for Shs18,000, a Kilo of beans now costs Shs3,000 from Shs5,000.

Speaking to the Daily Monitor on Wednesday evening, Ms Beatrice Otim, who has been in the produce business for the last 15 years, said they used to get beans, maize and other produce from the DR-Congo but transportation of the produce is difficult.

Ms Otim added that on market days, she used to buy produce stock around Shs2 million before but now she can only afford to buy stock of produce at Shs1 million, which she says has affected her income.

She says before the fuel price shot up, transport fares had risen.

“They are now charging a sack of beans and maize at Shs15,000 from Shs10,000 for transportation. This is making it hard for us to move to and from different market places,” he said.

Ms Agness Akumu, a resident of Nebbi town, said feeding big families has become difficult because of high prices of food items.

She said a kilo of cassava flour has also increased from Shs600 per kilo to Shs1,000 and Posho is being sold at Shs3000 per kilo, making it hard for a household with big families to survive with the current fuel price changing everything.

“Government needs to find workable solutions to address the current fuel prices since it is the driving factor to livelihoods and an engine to spur development,” Akumu said.

Most districts in West Nile are facing the fuel crisis due to the low supply due to the US-Israel-Iran war.

Similarly, the Boda-boda riders and truck drivers say they are trapped in their transport businesses because of the fuel prices, making them incur losses and the fuel cost has eaten all their profits.

A Boda-boda rider who operates between Nebbi and Paidha in Zombo District, Mr Charles Ongom, said they have increased the fares from Shs10,000 to Shs20,000 because a litre of fuel goes for Shs8,000 from local fuel dealers.

“While at the patrol stations, a litre of petrol is being sold at Shs5,999, this makes it difficult to rely on the old transport fares. Much as customers are complaining of the high fares, we are trying to avoid losses,” he said.

One of the truck drivers, Mr Mike Osaga, said traders are now fearing to move regularly and this has affected the businesses.

“It is through transportation of traders that we earn money. If traders are not moving, then it will be difficult because we are paid on percentage by our bosses,” he said.

He said since some of the drivers have parked their vehicles because of high fuel price for fear of incurring losses.

A local fuel dealer, Mr Emmanuel Ocowun, said they used to smuggle fuel from DR-Congo but this time round it the reverse because Congolese are running to fuel in Uganda because it is higher in their country.

Ocowun said in Mahagi district in DRC, a litre of petrol costs between Shs 10,000-12,000 depending on its availability.

“Now, we cannot access fuel from DR Congo because Congolese are also buying fuel from Ugandan petrol stations. We are now buying fuel in jerry cans at pump’s price and sell locally in the rural areas to our customers,” Ocowun said.

The situation remains uncertain on when the prices would stabilize. On Thursday, US President, Mr Donald Trump said there is no time frame offered for the end of the war. And Iranian authorities also say reopening the Strait of Hormuz was ‘not possible’.