Vegetable vending, the big deal in Karambi Market

AT THE ENTRANCE of Karambi Market, in the rural Kigoma Sector of Huye District, a woman sits on a bucket. Around her are huge sacks laden with fresh vegetables.Agnes Mukakabera has bought the vegetables on wholesale and is waiting for truck to ferry her merchandise to Gasarenda, several kilometres away in Nyamagabe District where she retails from.Besides Mukakabera, dozens of other vegetable traders, mainly women, are chatting away. All around them are sacks on vegetables.In the din of the market, casual labourers could be seen busy loading similar sacks of merchandise on to trucks and commuter taxis.It is Monday morning, a busy market day in Karambi. A step toward the market and one thing is clear: the market is a ‘darling’ of vegetable dealers, many of whom regularly travel longer distances in quest for fresh vegetables.For several years, Karambi Market has become one of the most coveted centres where vegetable growers meet with traders and buyers, who later take the produce to other parts of Southern Province and sometimes beyond, according to traders and farmers.Fresh aubergines, cabbages, onions, spinach, tomatoes, green beans, cassava leaves (isombe) and green pepper are some of the vegetables that have brought sellers regularly to the market.Twice a week–Mondays and Thursdays–vegetable dealers convene in Karambi with high expectations to get fresh stuff, which they purchase directly from farmers and later resell to consumers.This has been ongoing for several years and some traders have been in the business for decades.Mukakabera is one of the traders.“This is a business which has sustained my life for the last 10 years,” Mukakabera says. “Ever since I joined this business, I have had a progressive growth and my life transformed so fast.”Mukakabera says with proceeds from her business, she has managed to invest in livestock farming as a way of improving her welfare. She currently rears a variety of small livestock, including goats and pigs.Improved welfareMukakabera says with the proceeds from the business, she has managed to buy a plot of land in her village.“Had I not ventured in this business, I fear I wouldn’t have made any progress I have registered today,” she says. “This is a lucrative business that I will never quit.”Juliet Niyonsaba, a vegetable vendor who has been in the field for the last five years, also says the business is helping both farmers and traders to improve their living conditions.The mother of four says she is able to cater for the needs of her family, a fact she attributes to the business she is involved in.“With proceeds from this business, I can provide food and clothes to my four children, pay their school fees and meet their other basic needs,” Niyonsaba says.Niyonsaba also says she has managed to buy a cow from the activity, noting that it is one of her ‘milestone achievements so far.”“The future looks brighter,” she adds.Damian Ntawukuriryayo, a vegetable farmer, says for about 13 years since he started growing cabbages, pepper, aubergines and tomatoes, his life kept improving.“I have now managed to put a roof over my head with clean water,” Ntawukuriryayo says.He has bought land, thus allowing him to maximise benefits from his activities as in the past he had to rent farm land.Selling pointAmong the common challenges shared by both the traders and growers is the lack of a vegetable market which they believe could help streamline the business.Lack of transport facilities also still affects the businesses, especially when it comes to taking the produce to other parts of the province.“If we could get a proper and dedicated place where we could operate from, I believe this business would even be more profitable,” Mukakabera says.Huye District Executive Secretary Vedaste Nshimiyimana, who also doubles as the district spokesperson, told The New Times on Monday that plans to set up a selling point in the area are underway.The centre will be dedicated entirely to fruits and vegetable selling and activities to build it will start the next fiscal year, Nshimiyimana said.“We hope the construction of the selling point will further expand the business,” he added.Although there are no official figures on how fruits and vegetable production has increased in the area over the past few years, Nshimiyimana says “local leaders have been encouraging the activities, which eventually led to an increase in production.”“That [vegetable] production has increased is a fact,” Nshimiyimana said. “We want to continue streamlining the field and setting up infrastructure to facilitate the business, which will give a chance to residents to continue growing and prospering.”

National

Vegetable vending, the big deal in Karambi Market