This photo taken on Sept. 9, 2022, shows the Shola market where local people buy food for the new year celebration in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. (Xinhua/Michael Tewelde)
Holiday shoppers in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia's capital, witnessed soaring prices of basic commodities as they celebrate Ethiopian New Year.
ADDIS ABABA, Sept. 13 (Xinhua) -- Holiday shoppers in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia's capital, witnessed soaring prices of basic commodities as they celebrate Ethiopian New Year.
Ethiopia follows the Eastern Orthodox calendar and celebrates its unique New Year (Enkutatash in the Amharic language) on Sept. 11 or Sept. 12 during a leap year.
There is a series of events during the Ethiopian New Year celebration, including family reunions and the slaughter of sheep, goats, or oxen, depending on the financial capability of a household.
"I come here to buy several items for the holiday but end up buying few items due to high prices of commodities," Bezuayehu Aragaw, one of the holiday shoppers at Shola Market in Addis Ababa, told Xinhua recently.
Aragaw said she witnessed soaring prices of basic commodities and shared her fear that the situation would have the potential to drive many families to an even harder life unless abated.
"Life would be disastrous for a majority of low-income earning communities," said Aragaw while calling for immediate solutions from the government, including the introduction of a price control mechanism at places where the products come from.
A vendor is seen at Shola market in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, on Sept. 9, 2022. (Xinhua/Michael Tewelde)
Indeed, New Year celebrations in Ethiopia are more truly national affairs than other exclusively religious holidays and as such marked with increased fervor.
"The price of a chicken has gone up to 1,000 Ethiopian birrs (about 18.8 U.S. dollars) during this holiday as opposed to the 400 birrs during last new year," said Etenesh Mekagnaw, another holiday shopper. "Some years ago, I used to buy sheep at a maximum price of 2,000 birrs, but now the price of sheep has gone up to 10,000 birrs."
The prices of basic commodities in Ethiopia have seen increases in recent years, especially after a conflict erupted between government-allied troops and forces loyal to the Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF) in November 2020. The 22-month conflict has gravely disrupted the supply chain of basic goods including livestock to the towns and cities while the situation has left thousands of farmers and cattle-rearing communities idle.
The third round of fighting between the two forces restarted on Aug. 24 after months of the cease-fire, aggravating the cost of living across the country.
A vendor is seen at Shola market in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, on Sept. 9, 2022. (Xinhua/Michael Tewelde)
Senait Ersado is one of the traders of live chickens at Shola market, where she also provides butchering services for customers who do not want to slaughter chickens in their homes.
According to Ersado, who resells chickens she had bought from Wolayta, about 300 km south of Addis Ababa, the price hike has to do with security problems in different parts of the country.
"As to my understanding, the increase is due to the absence of peace in the country and that farmers are not supplying their limited products to nearby rural market centers," Ersado told Xinhua.
Wolayta chickens have a larger size and heavier weight compared to other chickens from other parts of the country. They also command higher prices as big as 1,000 birrs depending on their size.
Ersado said the price of chickens is going up every time a new holiday comes due to fewer chickens entering the city as many farmers lack the appetite to sell their products.
The increase in basic commodities in the eastern African nation also has to do with the fuel price hikes that the government has introduced since May of this year.
There are fears among ordinary Ethiopians that there would be further soaring costs of living as the government is set to increase the prices of fuels due to the price hikes on the global market.
People select sheep at Shola market in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, Sept. 9, 2022. (Xinhua/Michael Tewelde)
"The price of sheep has gone up compared to the price of the same last Ethiopian New Year," said Hulumyante Yitaferu, a sheep trader who spoke to Xinhua at the Shola Market.
Yitaferu attributed the increase in the prices of sheep to higher transportation costs and multiple tariffs set up by regional governments at various checkpoints along the way to Addis Ababa.
"The major problem lies on the supply side. In some areas, traders are not allowed to get their livestock transported to the city," Yitaferu said.
According to the Central Statistical Agency of Ethiopia, the inflation rate remains high, reaching 32.5 percent in August, with food inflation standing at 33.2 percent.