The wholesale prices for bell pepper went down by half last week, when compared with the last month, market data has shown.
Kariakoo market data shows that wholesale price for an 80-kilo bag of bell pepper, decreased from between Sh145,000 and Sh150,000 at the end of last month to Sh60,000 and Sh80,000 last week.
This has also pushed down the retail price as the report shows that fell to Sh1,000 last week from Sh2,500 during the last week of last month.
This preeminent decline is triggered by rainfall which started since the end of last month in different places in the country especially Tanga, Kilimanjaro and Arusha where large amounts of the productd originate.
Speaking to The Citizen, Mr John Felician, retailer and wholesaler of bell pepper and vegetables at Kariakoo market, said there has been a sharp increase in supply of the product as farmers fear ongoing rains.
“The product is so perishable when there is rain. So farmers have decided to harvest them massively to avoid losses which might be brought by ongoing seasonal rains,” Mr Felician said.
Kariakoo Market Corporation’s, Statistical and Planning Officer, Mr Henry Rwejuna, said there was a supply increase at the market which forced prices down.
He said the situation was expected to continue in the coming days due to ongoing rains in various areas in the country.
“We expect supply to fall after the rains fall and prices to normalise,” he said.