NAIROBI, Aug. 4 (Xinhua) -- The heavy rains that pounded Kenya two months ago have paid dividend as the cost of farm produce has dropped drastically across the East African nation.
The price of tomatoes, onions, a variety of vegetables, green maize and potatoes are all down, bringing relief to families as food budgets go down.
For instance, a kilo of tomatoes is currently being sold at between 0.50 dollars and 0.70 dollars in retail outlets across the country, down from a dollar while a kilo of onions in the supermarkets is currently going at an average of 0.60 dollars.
The drop has come as a relief to both traders and consumers. At Wakulima market in Nairobi's central business district, traders said they are a happy as supply of farm produce has improved boosting demand.
"Demand for green vegetables, tomatoes and onions from traders who buy from us is high because the produce is affordable and people in estates are buying in bulk," Miriam Wanjiku, a trader at the market, told Xinhua recently.
"Things have never been this better. I can now afford to use tomatoes and even choose from a variety of vegetables in the market to buy," said Peter Nyakundi, a public service transport vehicle driver in Nairobi.
Dry maize prices have also declined from a high of 1.1 dollars for a 2kg tin to 0.60 dollars.
However, as families enjoy, the low prices have put farmers in a squeeze.
A majority of them who had expected to reap from their bumper harvests are currently counting losses.
"I grew tomatoes and have harvested well but the prices currently are too low. We are selling a crate of 50kg at 20 dollars, which is too low. From this price I cannot even recoup my investment," said John Ngunjiri, who farms in Juja on the outskirts of Nairobi.
During the rainy season, farmers like Njunjiri had to spend lots of money on pesticides to curb diseases like blight and pests.
