Rising prices pushes silverfish vendors in Amuru out of business

AMURU-Olwal silverfish vendors association in Olwal trading center in Lamogi Sub-county in Amuru district have abandoned vending following a sharp increase in prices.

A sack of silverfish from Gulu City, where they get their supplies from, costs Shs 1.3 million, an increase from Shs 900,000 in June this year.

When our reporter visited Olwal trading center, the silverfish vendors had abandoned the stalls, with only one person vending.

The association according to Nighty Ayot, the Chairperson of the Silver Fish vender’s association had 40 members, but only one person is currently struggling with the business in a market which attracts at least a thousand households from within Olwal trading center.

Ayot says that many of her members have ventured into vegetable vending among others which are relatively cheaper and locally available.

According to Ayot, their suppliers in Gulu attribute the increase in price to the recent prolonged sunshine experienced across the country, leading to low reproduction of the fish species in the lakes.

“Our suppliers claim that the water levels have gone down, and temperature increased due to the prolonged sunshine and as a result, many fish have died while others relocated,” Ayot said.

Evelyne Ageno, the lonely vendor who is still struggling with her silverfish business, says she is only selling from the old stock she had bought before the prices shot up.

Once the half a sack is finished, Ageno says she will move to sell other goods until the price subsidies.

Currently, a small basin of silverfish which used to go for 20,000 is now selling at 35,000 while the big basin which went for Shs 50,000 is now selling at Shs 75,000.

“I still get customers who buy with a lot of complaints. This is not my making that the prices should go up, leave alone the increased price from the lakes, transport to and from Gulu City where we get our supplies from have also increased due to the increasing fuel prices,” Ageno said.

Alice Akello, a silverfish supplier from Gulu City confirms the sharp increase in prices which she attributes to the impact of climate change and the rising fuel prices.

“We either don’t have control over the rising prices. When we go to the lakes, we spend at least a week, which used to be between 3-4 days, as we get our supplies. The fishers tell us that because of the scorching sunshine, and increased volumes of garbage, the quantity has drastically reduced because the fish, not only silverfish are relocating,” Akello said.

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