Food prices soar in Kagera
KAGERA residents are forced to dig deeper in their pockets following a sharp increase of food commodity prices.
A random survey by the ‘Daily News’ revealed that a kilogram of maize flour was being sold at 2,500/- up from 1,000/-, beans 3,000/- up from 1,300/- while a kg of rice was being sold between 3,000/- and 3,500/- up from 1,100/-.
Jacob Tinkaligaire (43), from Kashai ward in Bukoba Municipal Council explained that most of the schools have increased fees citing increased prices of food commodities.
Juliana Method (27), a resident of Missenyi District’s Kilimilire Ward has been earning a living from selling sardines (dagaa) at retail price. She raised a concern that a 20-kg tin which was earlier being sold at 50,000/- had risen sharply to 250,000/-. “We appeal for government intervention.
Food commodities prices have risen sharply while some people could hardly afford two meals a day,” she lamented.
According to the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), the annual headline inflation rate for July 2022 increased to 4.5 per cent from 4.4 per cent recorded in June, 2022.
The July rate is the highest since November 2017 as Covid-19 pandemic and the recent Russia-Ukraine conflict have disrupted the global supply chains. The increase of headline inflation explains that, the speed of price change for commodities for the year ended July, 2022 has increased compared to the speed recorded for the year ended June, 2022.
Tanzania targets the inflation to remain between three and five per cent, however, high food, energy and fertilizer prices in the world market pose an upward risk to the future inflation.
