Tough times as prices of food rise on low rain

Prices of household food items are on the rise as farm supplies fall following an extended dry months of January to early March in food growing areas.

A spot-check by Market Place at Nairobi’s Marikiti Market showed that prices of cabbages, kales, avocado, capsicum, spinach, garlic and melon have risen.

A carton of garlic has risen by Sh500 to Sh2,300 in March from Sh1,800 in January.

Mary Wambui, a vendor, expects the price to rise further in the coming weeks if supply drops further.

The rise in prices comes at a time when many Kenyans have lost jobs following economic challenges caused by the coronavirus.

The government, in March last year, enforced stringent lockdown measures such as a ban on local and international flights, in and out movements in four counties of Mombasa, Kilifi, Kwale, Nairobi and Wajir as well as dusk to dawn curfews.

Consequently, hundreds of businesses shut down leading to cashflow challenges and a hit to livelihoods. Millions of workers were also sent home as companies could not afford to pay them.

Between April and end of June 2020, the number of people in employment fell to 15.87 million compared to 17.59 million in the preceding quarter.

For those who have shut down their enterprises or lost jobs, making ends meet is increasingly becoming harder as food prices have now gone up.

At the Marikiti market, a piece of cabbage goes for as high as Sh60, which is a rise of Sh20. Similarly, a kilogramme of capsicum now goes for Sh30 from Sh20 in January.

Avocado price has also increased from Sh20 in December to Sh30 this month. A kilogram of melon now retails at Sh35, more than Sh5 the cost in December.

Data from the Climate Hazards Group InfraRed Precipitation with Station data (CHIRPS), a global rainfall database, shows that cumulative rainfall across eastern and central part of the country between January and March was 50-80 per cent below average.

Some of the commodities whose prices have risen include cabbages, onions, kales, pineapples, carrots and potatoes.

Cost of living from the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics (KNBS) showed prices of spinach, oranges and kale (sukuma wiki) rose by 8.09, 6.18 and 5.61 per cent, respectively

In March, the United States Agency for International Development’s (USAID’s) Famine Early Warning Systems Network (FEWS NET) projected households to be market dependent this month as food stocks from last year’s long rains harvest diminish.

“The anticipated poor harvest and likely crop failure in some areas driven by poor rainfall and anticipated desert locust infestations are expected to provide below-average agricultural wage labor activities through February, prompting an increased reliance on charcoal and firewood sales and petty trade for income,” the USAID’s Food Security Outlook report states.

It said some of the coping-strategies adopted by homes included borrowing money, purchasing food on credit, and spending savings.

“A significant proportion of poor urban households are expected to be unable to meet their food and non-food needs and will continue to employ coping strategies,” the report notes.

Other foodstuff whose prices have gone up are cooking oil, with a 20 litre container rising to Sh3,600 from Sh3,000.

“The international price of crude palm has gone up significantly and this coupled with a weakening shilling has had a huge impact on the cost of oil locally,” Rajul Malde, the commercial director at Pwani Oil Products said.

Similarly, the cost of a 400 gramme loaf of bread increased by Sh5 after the wheat price went up.

According to KNBS, higher vegetable and wheat flour prices during December pushed food inflation in the country to its highest level in six months in December.

The year-on-year rise in the cost of food stood at 7.2 per cent last month, the highest since June 2020.