Charcoal Prices in Gulu Shoot Up

Charcoal prices in Gulu district have shot up in the past two months.  

A sack of charcoal now costs between Shillings 35,000 and 55,000 from Shillings 25,000 while a basin costs 10,000 from 7000.

Concy Aber, a charcoal dealer at Cereleno market in Gulu town attributes the increase in charcoal prices to the reluctance of farmers in the villages to cut down trees. 

He says most farmers are busy harvesting crops from the fields and have little time to burn charcoal. 

According to Aber, she sells a sack of charcoal between Shillings 35,000 and 45,000 depending from where she bought it from.      

Beatrice Akumu, another dealer in Gulu town attributes the increase in charcoal prices to dealers from Kampala who buy it from the villages.  

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The increase in charcoal prices has affected consumers. Kevin Onen, a resident of Gulu town says she now spends Shillings 15,000 from 10,000 on a charcoal to prepare food in her restraint. 

Onen says she had cut down on her dishes do minimize charcoal expenses.

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Christopher Ojara, another consumer from Layibi division, says he has resorted to buying charcoal from the villages because of the high cost in Gulu town.

Last year, Gulu, Amuru and Nwoya districts passed by-laws regulating the cutting down of tree for charcoal burning to control the massive destruction of trees.