Prices of essential commodities in Tanzania for April 2023 reveal mixed trends, with maize and cornmeal prices decreasing, while rice prices experiencing a reduction. Wheat flour prices increase, and cement prices show resilience. Factors such as ongoing rainfall, upcoming harvests, and imports from neighboring countries contribute to these trends.
April 2023 sees mixed price trends for essential commodities in Tanzania, as the Ministry of Investment, Industry, and Trade reported. Maize and cornmeal prices decreased, while rice prices experienced a reduction. Factors such as ongoing rainfall, upcoming harvests, and imports from neighboring countries such as Zambia and Malawi contributed to these trends. Meanwhile, wheat flour prices increased. The average maize price for April 2023 decreased by 0.8% compared to March 2023. Cornmeal prices in April saw both the highest and lowest prices decreasing by 20% compared to March 2023, with the average price decreasing by about 2.1% in the same period. Rice prices in April showed reductions in both the highest and lowest prices compared to March 2023, with an overall average decrease of 2.8%. Beans experienced a 7.0% decrease in the average price for April 2023 compared to the previous month due to good harvests in Tanzania and neighboring countries. Round potato prices also decreased by 2.7% in April 2023 compared to March 2023. On the other hand, wheat flour prices in April experienced increases in both high and low prices, with an overall average decrease of 0.1% compared to March 2023. Sugar prices displayed mixed trends, with the high price increasing by 5.6% and the low price decreasing by 1.9% compared to March 2023. Sunflower and Palm cooking oil prices decreased by 1.7% and 3.4%, respectively, for April 2023. Cement prices were resilient in April, with average prices of 42.5 and 32.5 type cement decreasing by 1.1% and 2.0%, respectively, compared to March 2023. The price of 10 mm reinforcement bars increased by 6.8% compared to March 2023, while the price of 12 mm bars increased by 15.7%. The highest price of white 30-gauge roofing sheets increased by 9.1% compared to March 2023. Regional variations were observed in soap brand prices, with the highest prices in regions like Mbeya, Kagera, Mara, and Katavi, and the lowest prices in regions like Kilimanjaro, Shinyanga, Singida, Manyara, and Geita. Ongoing rainfall and the beginning of the harvest season for beans and round potatoes contributed to declining food product prices in Tanzania and neighboring countries. Tanzania's inflation rate stabilized at 4.8% in February 2023, lower than neighboring countries like Kenya (9.2%), Uganda (9.2%), and Rwanda (20.8%).