Mubende, Kassanda farmers suffer losses

Some farmers and vendors in Mubende and Kassanda are stuck with their produce after President Museveni imposed a 21-day lockdown in the two districts to contain the outbreak of Ebola.
Agricultural prices have since reduced drastically because public transport was banned in the districts.
Ebola has since claimed 24 lives as of Monday, according to the Ministry of Health.
Other affected farmers are from Kyegegwa and Kakumiro districts which neighbour Mubende and Kassanda.
Mr Andrew Kaziira, a farmer from Kabarugi Village in Bugogo Town Council, Kyegegwa, said by the time the President announced lockdown, he had finished harvesting his two gardens of beans and Irish potatoes.

He said his customers were from Mubende, adding that since Sunday, they had all cancelled their bookings.
“I have been selling a sack of Irish potatoes of 100kg between Shs180,000 to Shs190,000 before lockdown but now it has reduced to Shs140,000 in a few days because the demand has reduced,”  Mr Kaziira said.
He said boda boda riders who had been helping him transport his produce to Mubende have stopped because they fear police might impound their motorcycles.
“On Monday, the motorcycle of one  boda boda rider from our village was impounded on his way from Mubende where he had taken Irish potatoes. Going to Mubende with produce is ok, but coming is the problem,”  Mr Kaziira said.
He said a kilogramme of beans now costs Shs3,500 up from Shs4,000.

Ms Dorothy Kayongo, who owns a stall at Lusarila market on Mubende-Kampala highway, said all her perishable products such as tomatoes and bananas have started rotting because her daily customers, who are taxi and bus travellers, are no longer moving.
She said they have decided to reduce the price of their merchandise but they can still hardly get any customers. 
She asked the President to allow buses and taxis to make stopovers but not allow passengers to get out of their vehicles so that they can buy their produce.