Rising Cassava Prices Push West Nile Families to the Brink of Hunger

Families across the West Nile sub-region are grappling with severe food insecurity as the price of cassava, a traditional dietary staple, skyrockets to unprecedented levels. For generations, cassava has served as a reliable and affordable source of sustenance for the region’s 3.2 million residents, consumed boiled, raw, or ground into flour alongside beans and vegetables.

However, retail prices for cassava flour in Arua have surged dramatically from Shs1,400 to Shs2,500 per kilogram, while wholesale prices have jumped from Shs1,200 to Shs2,000. Traders report that a 100kg bag of cassava flour has nearly doubled from Shs100,000 to Shs180,000 in recent weeks.

Local traders attribute the crisis to prolonged drought, poor harvests, and market speculation. Because local production falls short of regional demand, traders are forced to import supplies from distant areas like Lira, Soroti, Mbarara, and even Tanzania. High fuel costs and poor rural road infrastructure compound these transport expenses, pushing final retail prices beyond the reach of low-income earners.

The soaring costs have forced many households to skip meals, often going without breakfast and reducing daily dining to twice a day. Children are particularly vulnerable to these nutritional shortages. Meanwhile, agricultural officials point to broader structural issues, including land sales that reduce farming acreage, crop diseases like cassava mosaic virus, and limited access to modern agricultural tools.

Read the full story on the Daily Monitor.