Brokers, hoarding, loose regulations and reduction in food production are being blamed for a spike in the prices of onions, garlic and wheat.
One kilo of onions, which previously went for 15 birr has doubled to 30 birr and a kilo of garlic has skyrocketed to 180 birr. The slow procurement of wheat also caused the local wheat market to sell it for a quintal at 2,300 birr which was 1,000 up to 1,200 birr a month ago.
A trade expert says another problem is banning heavy trucks from driving in Addis during the day as well as instability and low production but brokers are taking advantage of the situation for their own greedy gain.
Alemu (name has been changed) a city market inspection employee says Ethiopia’s agriculture must be revolutionized.
“Agricultural commodities required for industrial use need to cost less for the products to penetrate not just the domestic market, but also the international market. It is pertinent to state that this is beyond what our aging farming population can provide. So, there is an urgent need for the modern practice of agriculture that requires the efforts of our educated youth.”
“When agriculture is made attractive, youth will go into it and produce food in large quantity, which will reduce the cost of food items. We have good climate and weather,” Alemu said.
The Addis Ababa Trade and Industry Bureau said brokers and hoarders are the main problem.
Debre Densa, Basic Commodity Distribution expert at the bureau said there must be good market linkage between the producer and the consumers.
“We can’t say that all the consumer products rise with less production, if you look around the country some products are determined by the brokers not the demand and the supply game and as a bureau we are working with cooperative unions to supply the product which helps us to decrease the products in some time but brokers are still challenging us by breaking our chain with cooperative unions,’’ he said.