A section of farmers in Nakuru are suffering significant losses as food prices fall due to an oversupply of farm produce in the food markets.

A spot check at Nakuru market shows that cabbage prices have plummeted to as low as Sh10 per head.

"Cabbages are everywhere and many farmers are struggling to sell them. There's so much that farmers have left some in their farms because there's no market demand - normally we sell a truckload in a day or two, but now it takes up to a week to clear the stock," says John Mwangi, a trader.

Geoffrey Karimi, a tomato wholesaler, also seems to be reading from the same script as his counterpart.

Display of crates of tomatoes at the Wakulima market.

Photo credit: Leleti Jassor/Mtaa Wangu

"We usually buy a size 28 box, which holds about 80-90kg of tomatoes. Right now I'm currently buying it for Sh2,000 per box and later selling to other traders for Sh2,500," explains Mr Karimi.

While Nakuru does not often buy oversized crates known as dunga (extension crates), some traders specialise in buying them.

"Other traders deal in tomatoes that have defects such as pest infestation or poor handling and currently sell for between Sh1,500 and Sh2,000," says Mr Karimi.

Tomatoes are currently priced between Sh50 for a net size and Sh150 for a 2kg tin.

According to Mr Karimi, prices are currently low because there is an oversupply of tomatoes in the market.

"At the moment, farmers want to sell their stock by the end of the month. If the rains intensify, the crop may not do well and farmers generally don't want to risk it. In the coming months, especially in April and May, as the rains intensify, tomato prices will also increase. That's when traders can make a decent profit.

An onion trader stacks onions in the onion section of Wakulima market.

Photo credit: Leleti Jassor/Mtaa Wangu

Hannah Ndirangu, who sells onions at the market, explains that the price of onions is also currently low, with farmers paying Sh50 for a kilogram.

"When I get my stock of red bulb onions, I sell them to other retailers at Sh65, depending on the quality, and directly to consumers at Sh70," she says.

Onion prices have been fluctuating between Sh70 and Sh80 per kilogram since January.

Ms Ndirangu also notes that a 40-kilogram bag of onions currently sells for between Sh4,500 and Sh5,500, down from the previous prices of between Sh5,000 and Sh6,000.

Fruit vendor at the Top market Nakuru.

Photo credit: Leleti Jassor/Mtaa Wangu

"As the rainy season approaches, we expect onion prices to rise. Many farmers prefer to sell their produce quickly for fear of crop damage, delayed harvests and higher production costs. Access to the farm will be difficult and harvesting will also be challenging, contributing to the rise in prices".

Nakuru farmers count losses as food prices fall

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Leleti Jassor