The prices of cereals across major markets in Gulu City have risen sharply in recent weeks amid dwindling supplies and increased prices charged by suppliers within and outside the Acholi sub-region.Beans have been the most affected, with prices rising by nearly 80 per cent, leaving many households that depend on the staple food struggling to afford their daily meals amid the rising cost of other essential commodities.As of Monday morning, a kilogramme of yellow beans was selling at between Shs 7,000 and Shs 8,000 in major markets and shops, up from between Shs 4,500 and Shs 5,000 in previous weeks.Groundnut prices have also increased, with a kilogramme now selling at between Shs 8,000 and Shs 8,500, compared to between Shs 6,000 and Shs 7,000 previously.Other cereals have equally registered price increases. A kilogramme of K20 beans, commonly known as Nambale, has risen from Shs 5,000 to Shs 6,000, while maize prices have increased from Shs 1,500 to Shs 2,000. Peas have recorded one of the steepest increases, rising from Shs 3,000 to Shs 5,000 per kilogramme.Molly Wat-Oker, a cereal trader at Cerelenu Market in Gulu City, attributed the price increases to changing weather patterns, scarcity of produce and limited supplies from farmers and suppliers.Wat-Oker said the increases were difficult to avoid, noting that poor weather conditions had affected farmers across the country during the last two consecutive planting seasons.She warned that prices could rise further if supplies remain low. However, she said customers were still buying cereals, although in smaller quantities because of the prevailing economic hardships.According to Wat-Oker, much of the produce sold in Gulu City is sourced from neighbouring Nwoya and Amuru districts, while additional supplies come from Hoima district.The rising prices have left many households struggling to meet their daily food needs, forcing some families to spend a larger share of their limited incomes on basic necessities.Henry Okello, a resident of Bardege-Layibi Division and father of three, said in an interview on Monday that the rising cost of food had significantly strained his household budget.Okello said prices of other basic commodities, including posho, charcoal and cooking oil, had also increased, while his earnings had remained unchanged.“There are times I barely afford to leave money because last month alone, I spent a lot more than I could save on buying food only, and it’s worrying me that this may continue,” Okello said.He added that he was considering taking on part-time work to supplement his income and meet his family’s basic needs.The impact of the shortage was also evident last week at Palenga Main Market in Palenga Town Council, Omoro district, where retailers and buyers reportedly scrambled for beans.Palenga is one of the major sources of bean supplies to Gulu City. Alex Jomo Oyet, the Omoro district agricultural officer, attributed the rising cereal prices primarily to shortages caused by prolonged drought, which affected crop production and reduced the quantities available on the market.Oyet explained that most farmers in the region depend on rain-fed agriculture, leaving production particularly vulnerable to prolonged dry spells.“The driving factor has been climate change during the first season of production. Most farmers within our region depend on rain, and so if the rain is not there, it definitely affects production and reduces the quantity on the market,” Oyet said.However, Oyet expressed optimism that increased supplies from other parts of the country, particularly western Uganda and the Elgon region, could help stabilise cereal prices in markets across the Acholi sub-region.In contrast to Gulu City, a kilogramme of beans and maize in other markets in Omoro district was reportedly selling at Shs 6,000 and Shs 1,500, respectively.The post Bean prices surge by 78% in Gulu amid supply shortage appeared first on The Observer Media Ltd.