Exhibitors at Jinja Agricultural show are counting losses due to poor organization. The show was characterized with power outages, poor security, hiked exhibition costs and low attendance. Previously, the exhibitors only paid for their stalls, but this time around they were also charged entrance fees. Some of the exhibitors claim that they were not issued with entry tags, which would force to pay shillings 4000 each time they leave and return to the exhibition ground.
Henry Wambi, an exhibitor says that she opened two stalls hoping to get profits out of it in vain. He says that he paid shillings 800,000 for the two stalls compared to shillings 250,000 he paid for the same stalls last year. He explains that he bought drinks worth shillings 6 million and hired two tents and seats at shillings 2 million, but only made shillings 4.83 million. Wambi attributes his poor sells to persistent power outages at the agricultural show.
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Isaac Ojok, a supervisor of Rwenzori mineral water and Nile Breweries says he incurred heavy cost of buying ice to cool his products because of lack of power at the show ground. He explains during the night he would hire generators to cool his drinks and play music in order to attract revelers.
Taddeo Safari Isabirye, an agronomist with Elgon Seed Company also blames his performance at the show to lack of power. He explains that some of the machines he uses to demonstrate to farmers operate on power. He says that his failure to carry out proper demonstrations affected his sells.
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He says that on the third night of the exhibition unknown people plundered his garden of cabbages, tomatoes, carrots and maize due to poor security and darkness. Isabirye says that demonstration gardens are irreplaceable. Jimmy Kitaka, the manager Jinja agricultural show agrees with the concerns raised by the exhibitors.
He explains that they are also being demanded shillings 20 million by Umeme and National Water and Sewerage Corporation. He says that they expected to generate the money from the show in vain. He says that as a result, the utility suppliers decided to disconnect their services to the show ground.
