Nsenene return leaves bitter-sweet taste in Fort Portal,  Bundibugyo

BY
FORT PORTAL/BUNDIBUGYO.  The appearance of grasshoppers, locally known as nsenene, in Fort Portal City and Bundibugyo District has left bitter-sweet moments for dealers and customers.
Since the beginning of November, the trappers have been eagerly anticipating the arrival of the grasshoppers.
The edible insects finally reached the area in large numbers on Wednesday and yesterday.

While the consumers are delighted to buy them at lower prices after a prolonged wait, the dealers are not pleased.
Mr Francis Ssentogo, who has trapped grasshoppers for 15 years, said the insects have flooded the market, resulting in reduced prices.
“We planned to sell a sack at between Shs300,000 and Shs400,000 in the first week or even more, but now we are selling it between Shs80,000 and Shs100,000 when they are fresh,” he said.

He highlighted the financial strain on trappers, including electricity bills and land rented to set up the traps.
“Our request to the government is to reduce the cost of a bulb from Shs350,000 to Shs250,000. Some workers have been stealing materials due to the period without grasshoppers, and we have struggled to pay salaries,” he said.

He explained that setting up a trap requires at least three bulbs, iron sheets and drums, which total expenses escalate to Shs1.5 million.
In Bundibugyo District, a sack of grasshoppers on Wednesday cost between Shs30,000 and Shs50,000.
Mr Richard Agaba, a buyer and seller of grasshoppers in Fort Portal City, said the market was overflowing with grasshoppers, leading to a reduction in prices.
He attributed the problem to the abundance of the insects from other districts such as Kasese and Ntoroko.

 “We have indeed been waiting for grasshoppers for a long period, but when they came, they flooded the entire markets, and now we are likely to incur losses due to the investments we have made,” he said.
 “Nsenene are perishable, and if not sold early in the morning, they deteriorate. Faced with an abundance of grasshoppers and a lack of transportation to Kampala, we had no choice but to sell them at lower prices. If the situation persists, we anticipate making losses,” he added.

Ms Anent Karungi, a vendor, shared that in the morning hours, a single cup of grasshoppers was being sold at Shs1,000. However, by 9am, an influx of vehicles arrived from Kasese and Bundibugyo, bringing more grasshoppers and forcing a reduction in the price to Shs300. Consumers who had given up hope on nsenene this year seized the opportunity on Wednesday and yesterday morning as they flocked various selling points in Fort Portal to buy the insects.