Kigezi Irish Potato Farmers & Sellers are demanding the use of weighing scales during business transactions to reduce the rate of exploitation.
This was revealed on Tuesday, 14th May 2024, during a comprehensive one-day training workshop organized by Delphy, a Dutch organization specializing in Irish Potato cultivation, in collaboration with Batuma Holdings Company.
The event took place in Murambo 1 cell, Bubare Town Council, Rubanda district, where about 200 Irish potato farmers had gathered to voice their concerns and propose a solution.
Some of the farmers, who are members of the Uganda National Seed Potato Producers Association, led by Bagambe Jackson, Jean Tukamushaba, and Doreen Twinobusigye, said that they get exploited when selling Irish potatoes in sacks compared to weighing scales.
Timony Nowamukama, the Community Project Manager for Delphy Uganda, said that farmers are making huge losses while selling Irish potatoes in sacks.
Irish Potato sellers from Kabale Central Market, led by Orishaba Aisha, Judith Tusingwire, Tumuranze Agnes, and Musimenta Prosy, said that selling Irish potatoes in kilograms is easier for them to detect whether they are making losses or profits.
They added that most of their customers have also embraced the use of weighing scales, calling on farmers to also adopt the practice.
They added that, in most cases, they buy a kilogram at 1600 shillings and sell it at 1700 shillings, whereas a full sack of 120 kilograms is sold at 300,000 shillings.
Currently, Uganda is importing Irish potatoes from Kenya and Tanzania, which the farmers attribute to wetland eviction, infertile soils, among other factors.
