Farmers in Molo, Nakuru county, are counting losses after cabbage prices dropped from KSh 20 to KSh 2 per head. A farmer at his cabbage farm. Some farmers have resorted to using their harvest as animal feed, while others have been forced to let their cabbages rot in the fields. According to NTV Kenya, the prices declined after farmers failed to find the market for their produce.
What was the price of a single cabbage in 2023? The 2024 Economic Survey released by the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics (KNBS) showed that the price of a single cabbage retailed at an average of KSh 57.04 per unit in 2023, up from KSh 51.64 in 2022.
During the period under review, the country produced 1,042,800 tonnes, a slight drop from 1,382,000 tonnes in the previous year. However, cabbage sales rose from KSh 15.86 billion to KSh 17.48 billion. How Kenyans reacted to low cabbage prices
@4low_ke: “Have you heard that cabbages are going for KSh 2? And that’s the price brokers are selling at. On the farm, you’re paid KSh 1, then they deduct 50 cents for transport. So, in short, you’re selling one cabbage for 50 cents.
Honestly, believe me when I tell you things are tough.” Mickey Mike: “Huko Molo eti cabbage inatoka KSh 2. Farmers hukapitia Mangai (farmers are suffering). Imagine having three acres of cabbage halafu you are begging someone to buy at 2 bob since they are rotting on the farm.”
@_Yanoh: “UDA supporters about to claim that cabbages selling for KSh 2 in Molo is because of Ruto’s wonderful work in reducing inflation and commodity prices.” @MapinduziKE: “Someone is about to explain how they gave farmers fertiliser, and that’s the reason why cabbages are costing KSh 2.
Farmers are also suffering!” Pingache Moses: “Why do we have a Ministry of Agriculture if it cannot stabilise the prices of farm produce to cushion the farmers? That ministry is always allocated billions of shillings every year. For what?” Rotarian Tinkah: “What a waste of land and resources.”
Kariuki Munene: “You will still find people dying in Turkana because of hunger. Meanwhile, in Molo, many cabbages will go to waste because, tell me, how will a sane farmer sell 1000 heads of cabbages for Ksh 2,000?
The Turkana government or any other county government facing drought should buy the cabbages at KSh 5.” What is Kenya’s inflation? The Kenya National Bureau of Statistics reported a rise in inflation in November 2024 to 2.8%.
The slight increase in the consumer price index (CPI) from 2.7% reported in October 2024 resulted from a rise in the prices of food and non-food items. The prices of water, electricity, cooking gas, and other fuel indexes increased by 0.1% during the same period under review.
by Japhet Ruto