Onion prices shoot up across markets in Acholi sub-region

Amuru, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Onion prices have shot up in markets within Acholi sub-region. In Kalongo market in Kalongo town council, a kilogram of onions now goes for 6,500 Shillings up from 4,500 Shillings.

Lucky Akello, one of the vendors in Kalongo market told Uganda Radio Network that there has been limited supply of onions over the past weeks. She says unlike the past when they used to get onions on a daily basis from various suppliers, only a few of them have maintained supply during the lockdown yet they are also not consistent.

Akello says that limited supply coupled with high demand from consumers have seen a sharp rise in the prices of onions. Susan Amito, another vendor says that some vendors have resorted to hoarding onions to create scarcity and in the end sell at higher prices as they take advantage of the COVID-19 lockdown.

John Wilfred Ocen, the chairperson business community in Kalongo town council notes that few farmers in the area have taken on onion farming, a reason they are registering the current scarcity. Ocen notes that most onions traded in the area are supplied from outside the district. He encouraged locals to take on growing onions and tomatoes owing to their lucrative markets.

At Tuma Atoo market in Central division, Kitgum municipality, vendors are selling a kilogram of onion between Shillings 5,500 to 6,600 shillings up from 4,500 Shillings. A vendor who declined to be named told Uganda Radio Network in an interview that supply from eastern Uganda has been limited ever since the government issued lock-down directives.

In Amuru district, many households have abandoned spicing food using onions due to its abnormal price hike and scarcity.

Irene Auma who deals in onion in Lajalula market says the least amount they can sell a kilogram of onion is Shillings 6000 up from Shillings 3500. She explained that onion dealers have been greatly affected by the ban on public transport as a means to curtail the spread of Covid-19.

Auma noted that they were previously buying onions from traders in Panyimur in Pakwach district, Pabbo town council and Gulu town who also were buying it at subsidized prices from Mbale district. Betty Akello, another resident of the area says her family has abandoned cooking food with onions.

“The prices of onions have shot up so high here, it’s two weeks now that we haven’t seen onion being supplied, the suppliers are no longer bringing them. We can’t get it easily from the markets where we used to buy from.”

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