DAR ES SALAAM: AS Tanzanians, especially Christians prepare to join their colleagues around the globe to celebrate Christmas and New Year, they have already started digging deep into their pockets to pay for food stuffs.
A random survey carried out by the ‘Daily News’ established that prices for essential foods have increased across markets, leaving consumers with no option but to shoulder them.
The price of beef has risen to an average of 12,000/- per kilogramme, up from 9,000/- to 10,000/-, while beans have risen to 4,000/- per kilogramme from 3,500/-, varying by region.
In Dar es Salaam, beef prices are at an all-time high, with chicken also seeing a price hike. Broiler chicken now trades at 11,000/- compared to 8,000/-, while an indigenous chicken’s price has skyrocketed to 30,000/-, up from 20,000/- to 25,000/-.
Additionally, prices for staple items like onions have surged, with rice now selling at between 2,700/- and 3,000/- per kilogramme. The increase in price is driven by rising demand and reduced supply in the market.
In Bunju, Dar es Salaam, rice and beans wholesaler, Mr Hoka Hoka explained that the rise in bean prices is due to higher purchasing cost from farmers in Mbeya, where beans are sold at 2,900/- per kilogramme and resold at 3,300/- and eventually reaching retail prices at 3,800/-.
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At Mwananyamala Market, tomato prices have surged, with a crate now costing 50,000/-, up from 35,000/-, due to higher wholesale prices from farmers selling for 25,000/- to 35,000/- , depending on quality.
Onion prices have also sharply risen. Mr Edwin Mabuga, a wholesaler at Mwananyamala, reported that the cost of a sack of onions has doubled from 50,000/- to 100,000/-, pushing retail prices to 180,000/- per sack.
In Arusha, beef prices have also surged, with a kilogramme now trading at 12,000/-, up from 10,000/-. Steaks are fetching as much as 14,000/- per kilogramme in some areas.
Goat prices have also spiked, with goats now costing between 250,000/- and 300,000/- depending on the size.
Dodoma has not been spared from the price hikes either. At Majengo Market, beef prices have risen from 8,000/- to 11,000/- per kilogramme, while rice now costs between 1,600/- and 3,000/- per kilogramme.
Oscar Mnyanyika, a butcher at Majengo Market, attributed the rise in prices to scarcity of cattle and heightened demand ahead of Christmas.
Similarly, in Singida, food prices have surged. A sack of potatoes has increased from 90,000/- to between 105,000/- and 110,000/-, while a bunch of banana has risen from 25,000/- to 35,000/-. The price of yellow beans has jumped from 2,500/- to 3,500/- per kilogramme.
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According to the Bank of Tanzania’s November 2024 Monthly Economic Review, food inflation remained at 2.5 per cent in October this year, the same as the previous month and lower than in October last year.
This was driven by price decreases in major food items such as maize, beans and rice, aided by improved food production, favourable weather and adequate supplies of inputs like fertilisers, quality seeds and pesticides.
The National Food Reserve Agency (NFRA) saw its food stock rise to 708,399 tonnes in October, up from 651,403 tonnes in September.
This increase included 76,675 tonnes of maize and 8,561 tonnes of paddy. Meanwhile, NFRA released 28,240 tonnes of maize to traders.
