Tanzania: Families Dig Deeper Into Pockets to Put Food on Their Tables

Prices of basic foodstuffs including cooking oil have shot up drastically in Arusha many of the traders pointing an accusing finger at the recent increase in petrol, diesel and other petroleum products.

The rise in fuel and consumer goods prices is attributed to adjustments made in the national budget announced last month.

A survey carried out by this reporter has shown that the prices of maize, beans and rice in the major markets of Kilombero and the central market have gone by at least 20 per cent and some as high as almost 50 percent.
A businessman who chose anonymity at the Kilombero market said rice from Mbeya originally sold at Tsh.80,000 is now sold at Tsh.100,000 per sack of 100kg due to the rise in haulage charges. He explained that with the new hiked wholesale prices he had no choice but to increase the retail prices as well

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Walter Maeda, the chairman of Arusha Petrol Stations and Fuel Transport told this reporter that peasants would now suffer even more as they have to spend money equivalent to three bags of maize to plough an acre of land in the wake of the new petrol and diesel prices. Earlier this year, two bags of maize would be enough to plough an acre.

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