Tanzania: Rice prices cling to historic high

Published 2022년 11월 16일

Tridge summary

Tanzania is experiencing historical highs in rice prices, with a 45% increase in the past four months, reaching 3,200/- per kilo. This surge is due to high demand and increased transport costs, despite the government's fuel subsidy. The highest quality rice is selling for 3,200/- per kg, while the lowest is 2,400/- per kg. The price hike is contributing to economic hardship for many, especially in Dar es Salaam. Demand for rice exports to neighboring countries is also a factor, leading farmers to set their own prices and cut out middlemen. In 2020/21, Tanzania produced 2,629,519 tonnes of rice, but the demand was 1,091,778 tonnes. Uganda is the largest importer of Tanzanian rice, receiving 56.42% of the total exports.

Disclaimer:The above summary was generated by Tridge's proprietary AI model for informational purposes.

Original content

RICE prices are set to continue clinging at the current historical highest level as supply is still far from meeting the demand. The average prices climbed by 45 per cent to 3,200/- a kilo in the last three months and farmers are now setting the price tone through by passing middlemen while export demand is on the higher side. Mr Hasuni Hasuni, a rice wholesale trader at Tandika Market, said prices of the commodity are also pushed up due to high transport costs, despite the government's effort to subsidise fuel pump prices to support users. "I am buying rice from Mbeya, Shinyanga, and mostly Morogoro. I have stopped buying from Shinyanga because transport costs are too high," Mr Hasuni said. He noted that the cost of transporting a sack of rice weighing 100 kg currently is 10,000/- compared to 7,000/- in May from Ifakara and Kilombero of Morogoro region to Dar es Salaam. "To stay on business, we have joined hands to at least realise a thin margin of profit," Mr Hasuni said. A ...

Source: All Africa