RUKUNGIRI- Although many traders in different parts of the country used to hike prices of their commodities during months of September, October, November and December as we head to the Christmas festive season, it’s now a different story in Rukungiri with the prices of animals continuing to drop as weekly markets resume amidst Covid 19 pandemic.
On Wednesday 29th September 2021 while speaking to some traders who had gone to sell their animals in a renown Nyamayenje Market located in Southern Division in Rukungiri municipality, the traders revealed that the prices of animals like goats, cows and sheep have dropped yet they were bought on higher prices before Covid-19 lockdown.
Turinawe Love, Eliasaf Baryahebwa, Henry Kagoro, Kasibayo Jimmy, and Niwahereza Bylon some of the animal traders in Nyamayenje Market while talking to our reporter attributed the drop in prices to the low turn up of buyers stressing that they expected high numbers but all in vain.
These traders revealed how they have been experiencing alot of challenges during Covid-19 lockdown explaining that some had bank loans and are now worried of the animals they bought at higher prices now being sold cheaply.
Traders narrated that a cow that was bought at Ugx 2.5M before lockdown is currently at being sold at Ugx 2M hence leading to heavy losses.
However, traders said that since it was first time for the market to operate following the presidential directive, they expect prices to shoot up as buyers get used with the situation.
Meanwhile the compliance of Covid-19 Standard Operating Procedures in the market was not good since most of traders had no face masks and social distancing was another total failure.

All efforts by our news desk to have a comment from municipal leaders on the same issue didn’t yield positive fruits as they all denied to talk about the matter.
It should be remembered that last week on Wednesday 22rd September 2021 during his address, President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni Tibuhaburwa reopened weekly markets but directed them to operate under strict adherence of Covid-19 guidelines.