Produce dealers in Kampala and most parts of the country often warmed up to the back to the season where they made quick money by supplying food mainly beans and maize to learning institutions.
However, the breakout of the COVID-19 pandemic, which forced government to announce several containment measures including the closure of learning institutions have seen the produce dealers struggling for survival.
John Sserunjoji is a produce dealer in the city suburbs of Kisenyi. According to Sserunjoji, the back to school was the best season for him. He explained prior to the COVID-19 pandemic outbreak he used to supply about 20 tons of maize flour to different schools at the opening of each term, and make additional deliveries after a month.
He, however, says that the situation is terrible.
Allan Waiswa also used to supply maize flour and rice to different schools around the country. According to Waiswa, he would supply between 20 and 25 tons of maize flour and rice at the beginning of each term. He, however, says this is no more since the government closed all schools.
He explains that this has kept their stores empty because they cannot buy maize from the villages since they don’t have customers. According to Waiswa, despite the fact that they are not working banking are pushing them to service the loans they acquired to boost their businesses.
Martin Isabirye, another produce dealer used to supply around 50 sacks of maize flour to different schools throughout the term. The Kisenyi based produce dealer, says that currently, they sell one or two sacks to individuals, retail shops and sometimes organizations donating foodstuffs to vulnerable people affected by the lockdown.
Betty Nanfuka used to supply beans to different schools in Kabowa, Lubaga Division. According to Nanfuka, during the normal school days, she would sell around 70% of her stock at the end of the month but currently only sells around 10 or 20%.
Nanfuka explains that nowadays it is difficult for her to sell a kilogram of beans, adding that it is a hustle to raise Shillings 10,000. She currently depends on help from the colleagues in other sectors.
The produce dealers are uncertain on what is going to happen even when schools reopen since some of them don’t have capital while others have lost their contact persons in some schools to COVID-19.
-URN
