Rice prices drop, other essentials stay stable

TANZANIA: THE average wholesale prices of essential food items have generally remained stable over the last month, though rice has experienced a gradual decline.

According to the Ministry of Agriculture, National Weekly Average Wholesale Price latest report for the week ending July 12, maize price steady at 600/- per kilogramme, while beans at 2,500/- per kg, compared to the previous week.

“Prices of maize, beans and bulrush millet remained constant,” reads the market bulletin.

Despite the stability in maize and bean prices for consecutive two weeks, national rice average price dropped slightly by 5.0 per cent to 1,900/- per kilo from 2,000/-.

On other hand, the price of round potatoes increased by 10 per cent to 1,000/-, while sorghum and finger millet decrease by 6.7 per cent, 5.9 per cent respectively.

Rice, maize and beans are among the top five staple foods highly consumed in the country, alongside millet and round potatoes.

However, Arusha was the only region where the highest rice price was recorded at 2,800/- though down from 2,900/-. Geita region, on other hand, has the lowest rice price at 1,200/- per kilo countrywide.

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In Dar es Salaam, a kilo of rice goes for 2,100/- down from 2,400/-, marking a slight change of 12.5 per cent from the first week of July.

In Dodoma at wholesales rice decreased by 5.9 per cent to 1600/- per kilo, in Mwanza by 7.1 per cent to ,1600/- similar with Mbeya.  While Tanga saw a slight rise from 1800/- to the current 1900/-.

Maize prices have generally remained stable across regions, with Tanga reporting the highest price at 900/-, more than double the lowest price of 400/- in Ruvuma and Mbeya.