Residents of Lusaka have bemoaned the shortage of potatoes and onions on the market stating that it is a great inconvenience for households with school-going children.
speaking to our Bantu news, Lusaka residents and restaurant owners have expressed that it is now difficult to find potatoes and onions on the market as many suppliers are almost depleting their stock and the the prices of these products have begun to escalate.
A check by our Bantu news discovered that supermarkets such as Shoprite and Pic n Pay are selling a 10kg bag of potatoes at K200 which is a price increase of K70 as opposed to the previous K130.
Marketeers trading in traditional vegetables have also lamented that they are finding it difficult to source vegetables because of the dry spell the country is currently experiencing, this is why prices of vegetables have gone from the previous K2 for a bundle of Chinese cabbage to K4, a situation that is making it difficult to provide healthy meals of their households and communities at large
Meanwhile, the Zambian Fruits and Vegetables Traders Association president Bernard Sikunyongana has confirmed the shortage as well as the hike in prices adding that the country will likely record a decrease in the production of these two commodities due to the current dry spell affecting most parts of the country. Zambia consumes about 300 to 450 tonnes of potatoes weekly.