Food and non-alcoholic beverages increased by 39.7 per cent in October 2022 compared to the same month of 2021, according to Rwanda’s Consumer Price Index (CPI) that was released on Thursday, November 10. The same commodities increased by 5.3 per cent on a monthly basis in October 2022 compared to September 2022 in urban areas. The urban CPI, issued by the National Institute of Statistics of Rwanda, is calculated based on approximately 1,622 products in 12 urban centres of Rwanda. Bread and cereals prices increased by 40.9 per cent in October 2022 compared to the same month in 2021. Meat prices increased by 15 per cent, milk cheese and eggs by 24.7 per cent, vegetables by 60.5 per cent and non-alcoholic beverages by 19.4 per cent. Alcoholic beverages, Tobacco and Narcotics increased by 14 per cent. Food and non-alcoholic beverages prices in urban areas had increased by 29.2 per cent during the month of August this year compared to the same period last year. Despite the increase in food prices last month (October), the prices of Irish potatoes and beans are gradually decreasing according to The New Times’ mini-survey. The drastic rise in Irish potato and bean prices, among other food commodities, was recorded for the first time in the past few months according to consumers. In the Northern Province, the main producer of Irish potatoes, one Kilogramme was going for Rwf500 in its urban areas and Rwf400 at the farm gate. In Kigali, one Kilogramme of Irish potatoes was going for Rwf600 and above. However, Vestine Muragijimana, a farmer from the Musanze district told The New Times, on Thursday, November 10, that a Kilogramme of good quality Irish Potatoes at farm gate is going for Rwf350 and Rwf300 for those with low grade. Currently, one Kilogramme of Irish Potatoes goes for Rwf450 in Nyabugogo, Nyabisindu and Rwf500 in other parts of Kigali. However, the mini-assessment found that vendors are still hiking potato prices selling one Kilogramme at Rwf600 in areas such as Nyamirambo and others. A kilogramme of Tanzanian rice is being sold at Rwf1,800 and Rwf1500 for other types of rice. The price of sugar and cooking oil have slightly decreased in some areas of Kigali, consumers said. A Kilogramme of sugar decreased from Rwf1,500 to Rwf1,300. The price of beans has decreased from Rwf2,000 to between Rwf1,000 and Rwf2,000 compared to the last month. Overall prices in Rwanda Overall prices in Rwanda including food, beverages, tobacco, narcotics, housing, transport, electricity, gas, footwear and clothes, restaurants and hotels, Furnishings household equipment and routine household maintenance, and communication among many others increased by 31 per cent on an annual basis and increased by 5.6 per cent on monthly basis. Overall prices of these products and services in urban areas increased by 20 per cent. Overall prices of these products and services in rural areas increased by 39.2 per cent on an annual basis.
