Banana Farmers in Kagadi cry out over falling prices

By Kiiza Anakereti | Saturday July 11, 2026

Kagadi

Banana farmers in Mpeefu Sub-county, Kagadi District, are raising concern over a sharp decline in banana prices, saying the situation is threatening their livelihoods and making it difficult to meet basic household needs.

The farmers, who sell their produce at Kobushera Market—one of the district’s major banana trading centres—say the price of a large bunch of bananas has dropped to between 3,000 and 4,000 shillings, leaving many unable to raise enough income to pay school fees and support their families.

Obed Niwabiine, a farmer from Mpeefu Sub-county, says the seasonal price slump, which is common between January and July each year, has been worsened by a prolonged dry spell that has reduced farmers’ earnings even further.

 He is appealing to the government to intervene and help stabilize banana prices.

The Chairperson of Banana Traders in Kagadi District, John Asaba, blames the poor state of the Kisuura–Kobushera–Kamagari road, saying it has discouraged traders from Kampala from buying bananas in the area.

 He says prices are likely to improve if the road is rehabilitated and has urged farmers to continue caring for their plantations as they await better prices.

Farmers have also raised concern over the outbreak of strange banana diseases and are calling for government support.

Mpeefu Sub-county LC3 Chairperson John Kahunde acknowledges the challenge of low banana prices and agrees that the poor condition of the Kisuura–Kobushera–Kamagari road is a major contributing factor.

 He is urging the Kagadi District Local Government to prioritize the rehabilitation of the road in the current financial year, noting that the area is a key agricultural hub whose produce contributes significantly to the national economy.

Meanwhile, economist and Principal of the Paradigm Institute of Business and Media Studies, Kunihira Kusemerwa, says several factors contribute to low commodity prices, including overproduction, limited access to wider markets, poor transport infrastructure, and reduced consumer purchasing power caused by the prevailing economic hardships.

Kusemerwa recommends that farmers form cooperatives to improve access to regional markets, invest in value addition to agricultural products, and continue advocating for improved transport infrastructure as long-term solutions to the recurring price crisis.