BUJUMBURA January 16th (ABP) – Food prices have experienced variations in recent days, noted the ABP during a visit to certain markets in the city of Bujumbura on Monday January 15, 2024.
While those prices have decreased for some products, they have increased for others.
The products whose prices have fallen include beans in particular. Indeed, the price of the bean commonly called “yellow”, which was at 4,000 BIF per kg, is currently purchased at 2,850 BIF. As for the so-called “Kirundo” bean variety, the price of one kg increased from 2,300 to 1,800 BIF, while the so-called “Kinure” bean is bought at 2,500 BIF whereas it was at 3,500 BIF.
Potatoes saw a slight decrease. The price of one kg, which was between 1,600 and 1,700 BIF, is currently purchased at 1,500 BIF, at a time when the price of corn seeds, which was at 2,200 BIF per kg, is at 1,850 BIF.
The decrease is also noticeable for fresh peas, the price of a kg of which has gone from 7,000 to 5,000 BIF.
Moreover, palm oil has also seen a decrease in price. A one and a half liter bottle of palm oil is currently sold for 7,000 BIF whereas it was 10,000 BIF. That is at a time when a 3 liter bottle, which was at 23,000 BIF, is bought at 16,000 BIF, while the same product packaged in a 5 liter can is obtained at 28,000 BIF whereas it was at 32,000 BIF.
On the other hand, prices have increased for other products. That is the case of local rice, whose price per kg, which was 3,500 BIF, currently varies between 3,800 and 4,200 BIF, while the first quality of Tanzanian rice increased from 5,000 to 7,000 BIF per kg, and its second quality is bought at 4,500 BIF per kg whereas it was at 4,000 BIF.
The price increase also affected cold meats. A kg of bone-in meat commonly called “cangacanga” is currently bought for 15,000 BIF whereas it was 11,000 BIF. As for meat without bones called “umusoso”, the price of one kg increased by 5,000, going from 13,000 to 18,000 BIF.
In the case of coal, the population no longer knows which way to turn. The price went from single to double. The quantity of 1000 BIF is today comparable to that of 500 BIF in past months. A large bag of that product costs 100,000 BIF, while the average bag of charcoal costs 60,000 BIF. Buyers of that product are complaining and asking the government to help them find lasting solutions.
Contacted to comment on the variation in food prices, traders blame the rise in prices on the lack of fuel and foreign exchange, the rise in transport prices as well as climate change which has damaged certain fields. Concerning the drop in prices of certain goods, they specify that that is the result of the good harvest of the latter.