Prices of Irish potatoes dip

Dar es Salaam. Prices of Irish potatoes have fallen in city markets.

A survey by The Citizen at Mabibo, Buguruni-Veterinary, Temeke and Makumbusho markets has shown that wholesale and retail dropped as more potatoes were supplied.

A 60 kilo-bag of Irish potatoes was sold at an average of Sh40,000 in wholesale, down from Sh50,000 in mid this month.

Retail prices dropped from Sh1,200-Sh1,500 to Sh1,000.

Mabibo market wholesaler Said Juma bumper potato harvests had cut prices.

“Many trucks have been unloading bags of Irish potatoes since the start of the week. Previously, there were just a few of them, especially during the last three months of the year” he said.

He expects the supply to rise.

Kivule Shule resident Bertha Bernard is happy with the price drop as consumers will be spending less on buying Irish potatoes.

Vendors of French fries have been relieved as costs have fallen. They are sure of getting high returns.

A report by the Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment shows that a 100-kilo bag of Irish potatoes was sold at average of Sh42,000 in Njombe. However, the average commodity price was three times higher in northern parts of the country. Irish potatoes are widely consumed in urban areas in Tanzania.

Nutritionists say raw potato is 79 per cent water, 17 per cent carbohydrates (88 per cent of which is starch), 2 per cent protein, contains negligible fat. In a 100 grams (3.5 oz) amount, raw potato provides 322 kilojoules (77 kilocalories) and is a rich source of vitamin B6 and vitamin C (23 per cent and 24 per cent of the Daily Value, respectively), with no other nutrients in significant amount. When a potato is baked, contents of vitamin B6 and vitamin C decline with little significant change in other nutrients.

Potatoes are often broadly classified as high on the glycemic index (GI) and so are often excluded from the diets of individuals trying to follow a low-GI diet. The GI of potatoes can vary considerably depending on type (such as red, russet, white, or King Edward), origin, preparation methods (by cooking method, whether it is eaten hot or cold, whether it is mashed or cubed or consumed whole), and with what it is consumed (addition of various high-fat or high-protein toppings). Consuming reheated or cooled potatoes that were previously cooked may afford a lower GI effect.