Prices of vegetables drop as farmers harvest produce in central Somalia
Consumers have felt relieve after the price of vegetables decreased as supplies from Baledweyne is central Somalia increase following a bumper harvest there.
The traders who spoke to Goobjoog News said the price per kilo of green pepper dropped from Som sh 80,000 to Som Sh 40,0000, onions from 60,000 to 10,000, while that of tomatoes from 250,000 to 50,000.
Traders said that the rates of most of the vegetables have been low for days now, and will reduce further.
“There is seasonal fluctuation in vegetable prices. At the moment onions, have reached rock bottom. Prices have gone down in hundreds of commodities. Supply will come in the next few weeks and the prices will go down, which is for tomatoes and potatoes,” said one of the traders.
Prices of sweet potatoes and cabbages have also dropped significantly following their harvest. A 1kg tin of sweet potatoes, which was going for Som Sh90000 previous, now is selling at between Som Sh 30 dollars and Som Sh40.
A head of cabbage, which was going for up to Som Sh10000 is currently retailing at an average of Sh5000. “I brought down the prices as soon as normal supply resumed at wholesale markets in the town centre where we buy the produce,” said Mumina, a trader in Beledweyne town.
“Last week we would go and find very few traders there, but now they are back,” she added. She noted prices fell down Thursday this week after farmers started harvesting vegetables. “I went to the market on Wednesday but prices had not stabilised. But things went back to normal on thursday after the farmer started full supply,” she said.
Hiraan region crop farmers relying on irrigation for the farms along River Shabelle – the only river in the region – counted loses after the river dried up in January but when the river started flowing again in late March and they start growing crops and vegetables.