Ugandans are currently paying KSh 7,000 per sack of grasshoppers.
A week after Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni inquired on X (previously Twitter) about the whereabouts of grasshoppers, which are reportedly considered a national delicacy, the troublesome insects are now being transported in full sacks throughout Uganda.
In order to deliver the delicacy to the markets, passenger service vehicles navigate through towns in a winding pattern.
"The month of grasshoppers, Musenene, has arrived. Where are they? The impact of climate change? Nsenene is not something I consume organically. October is Kashwa the month of the enswa. Did they appear?” Asked President Museveni.
The absence of edible grasshoppers, or Nsenene as they are referred to in Uganda, during their customary season caused widespread concern. Concerned individuals included the President.
The Daily Monitor, the largest independent daily in Uganda, reports that swarms of passenger service vehicles, or matatus in the Kenyan sense, have been observed heading to Kampala from several outlying locations while carrying tens of bags of Nsenene (grasshoppers).
The Daily Monitor, which previously reported this information on Twitter, has learned that saloon cars and passenger service vehicles carrying sacks of grasshoppers (Nsenene) are accelerating towards Kampala, the capital of Uganda, as the demand for edible grasshoppers increases.
A 25-kilogram bundle of Nsenene is currently priced at UGX180,000 (Ksh. 7,200), as reported by one of the transporters per the newspaper.
Tradespeople engaged in the distribution of Nsenene (edible grasshoppers) were advised by the Uganda Bureau of Standards (UNBS) to comply with nationally recognised criteria for edible insects as a means of protecting consumer health, as stated a week ago.
Based on the specific toxic substance, the standard dictates that the utmost allowable aflatoxin concentration in palatable insects must not surpass five to ten micrograms per kilogramme.
UNBS has once more expressed apprehensions regarding the potential health hazards that may arise from ingesting insects that have been mishandled, particularly in cases where the recommended protocols are disregarded.
Post a Comment
What is your say on this