Trade Order Leaves Rukiga Onion Traders Struggling With Unsold Produce

What the report says

Onion traders in Bukinda, Muhanga Town Council, Rukiga District say enforcement of the Trade Order has sharply affected their business, leaving them with unsold stock and weaker sales. According to Nile Post, members of the Bukinda Onion Growers and Traders Cooperative Society said the market they depended on has slowed significantly since the directive took effect.

Traders Bruce Agaba, Deus Bikorwomuhangi and Warren Turyamwijuka said they are now storing produce they cannot move, and described the local onion market as far less active than before. Their main concern is that reduced foot traffic and sales are making it harder to earn a living and avoid losses.

The article places their complaints in the wider national rollout of the Trade Order, which President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni has said is meant to shield established traders and shop operators from competition by itinerant vendors. Government has also said the directive is intended to improve compliance with tax and other regulatory rules.

Nile Post reports that enforcement is continuing in different parts of Uganda, especially urban areas. The Rukiga traders are asking authorities for measures that would allow them to keep operating without incurring further losses, highlighting the pressure the policy can place on small-scale agricultural traders in local markets.