Wholesale food prices decrease

Dar es Salaam. Wholesale prices of foodstuffs fell in July this year when compared with July 2017.

The exception was potatoes whose prices jumped.

The Bank of Tanzania’s monthly economic review for August shows that wholesale prices of maize, rice, beans, sorghum and finger millet fell in July this year compared with July last year.

The price of a 100-kilo bag of maize fell in July this year to Sh41,282.9 in July this year from Sh67,915.2 in July last year.

On a monthly basis, the maize price fell by 3.4 per cent from 42,721.9 in June.

The situation also lowered prices of maize flour as they range from Sh800 to Sh1,000 a kilo.

A kilo of maize flour was sold at Sh1,300 last year.

Maize is the main food crop in Tanzania. Its production has been increasing from year to year.

The wholesale price of rice also decreased to Sh153,053.2 in July this year from Sh170,737 in July last year.

On a monthly basis the price fell by 4.4 from Sh160,080.8 in June this year.

However, the situation has not affected the consumer price to a large extent as it remained at between Sh1,500 and Sh2,000 a kilo, a marginal decrease from Sh2,300 recorded in mid last year.

The price of beans for a 100-kilo bag also eased to Sh161,234.1 in July this year from Sh165,056.5 in July last year.

In June 2018, the price was Sh165,420.6. The major price drop was also recorded on sorghum as it reached Sh68,168 a 100-kilo in July this year, down from Sh102,594.9 in July last year.