Shea caterpillars, commonly called “chitoumou” in the Dioula language, appear every year in the rainy season. At the same time, the various streets and markets in the city of Bobo-Dioulasso are enlivened by the edible caterpillars. But this year they are rare on the market and even in the usual corners. What is the reason? A team from L’Express du Faso crossed some streets and markets in the area to inquire about the state of the market, on Thursday August 22, 2024.
On the morning of Thursday, August 22, 2024, a team from L’Express du Faso toured the market of the car station. Impossible to see the usual sellers of shea caterpillars on this route. We had to close the road again to take the road that goes to the farmer’s square to see these women. From a distance, piles of “chitoumou” are lined up and just waiting for customers, but where can you see them? Hard to say. According to Madjelia Soré, a seller of shea caterpillars, “I have been in this field for 10 years. I have never encountered this situation,” she said. According to him, “last year, at the beginning the box was 3,500 FCFA and saw a drop of 600 FCFA per box. But this year started the price of the box at 5,500 FCFA and until the time I speak to you, it has not yet fallen as we would like because the box currently costs 2,000 FCFA. year that it is very difficult because there is a lack of customers”. This other seller of caterpillars, Setou Sanou, gives us the reasons. “It is because of insecurity it’s rare on the market this year,” she said. She goes on to say that it is difficult to find the caterpillars because “people are afraid to go into the bush to collect them.” This means that these caterpillars have become rare and the price has risen to 5,500 FCFA as soon as the caterpillars are released. “I hope the price of the box will go down to allow people to eat as they are used to,” said Setou Sanou. For Aminata Zongo, another shea caterpillar seller, women are particularly afraid of go to the fields because of insecurity at the risk of losing their lives there. the box is still at 2000 FCFA,” she asks.
Wende Mi Estelle KOUTOU
(Intern)
