August 10, 2011 (UN News Center)
August 10, 2011 (UN News Center)
Higher domestic fuel prices and a food export ban imposed by neighbouring Tanzania are exerting additional upward pressure on food prices in Kenya, the FAO report pointed out.
In Ethiopia, the prices of maize rose again last month in most of the monitored markets, with increases from June of 23 per cent in the Bahirdar main growing area and of nine per cent in the capital, Addis Ababa.
Maize prices have been on the rise since February, and the July quotations were generally well above their levels a year earlier (from 50 to 75 per cent up), although still below the peaks reached during the 2008 food price crisis.
Prices of wheat in Ethiopia eased in July from record levels of June in Addis Ababa, but were still 76 per cent higher than at a similar period last year. Despite improved prospects for the main “Meher” season cereal crops, to be harvested from October, a spike in the fuel prices and transport costs has contributed to keeping food prices high. The price of diesel in Ethiopian was 69 per cent higher in June compared to a similar period last year.
The price of milk, a key staple in the drought-affected pastoralist areas, has surged with the deteriorating conditions of the livestock in recent months.
In Djibouti, where imported wheat is a staple, prices remained stable in June for the third consecutive month after surging earlier in the year. However, wheat flour prices were 67 per cent higher than a year ago and similar to the peaks of July 2008 during the global food price crisis. The sharp increase is mainly attributable to higher international wheat prices.