Annual Price Monitoring Report: Maize and Rice Markets in Africa 2023

AWinERA Africa Ltd's Annual Price Monitoring Report for 2023 provides a comprehensive analysis of maize and rice price dynamics across Uganda's major trading hubs, including Kampala, Gulu, Mbale, Mbarara, and Arua. Drawing on monthly price data collected from over 120 market points as part of AWinERA's collaboration with the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI), the report reveals significant seasonal volatility that has disproportionately affected food-insecure households in Northern and Eastern Uganda. Maize prices in 2023 peaked at UGX 1,850 per kilogramme in July — a 67% increase from the April harvest low — driven by a combination of erratic rainfall patterns in the Acholi sub-region, increased cross-border exports to South Sudan, and rising fuel costs affecting transportation. Rice prices showed less volatility but remained 23% above the five-year average, partly due to reduced imports from Tanzania following regional trade policy changes. The report identifies three districts — Kotido, Moroto, and Abim in Karamoja — where households spent over 70% of their income on food in the lean season, raising serious concerns about food security and child nutrition. AWinERA recommends strengthening strategic grain reserve management, investing in rural road infrastructure to reduce market integration barriers, and expanding the reach of the Agricultural Insurance Scheme to cover smallholder maize and rice producers in climate-vulnerable areas.