Wheat prices climb by 5pc

Dar es Salaam. Wholesale and retail prices of wheat have marginally increased by an average of five per cent in Mainland Tanzania, reports show.

According to reports by the Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment, the wholesale price of a 100-kilo bag of wheat increased to an average of Sh121,985 on September 29 from Sh117,000 on June 28 this year.

In Dar es Salaam, the wholesale price of a 100-kilo bag of wheat increased to an average of Sh130,000 on September 28, from Sh120,000 on June 28.

A survey has shown that retail prices of one kilo of wheat rose to Sh1,200-1,500 from Sh1,000-1,500 during the same period.

Traders attribute the trend to a slightly decrease in supply due to the end of the harvest period.

Tandika Market chairman Mohamed Mwekya said prices rose as supply decreased.

“Large quantities of wheat come from Njombe, Mbeya and Arusha, but supply has fallen,” he said.

Other wheat-producing regions are Kilimanjaro, Ruvuma, Iringa, Rukwa and Manyara.

Reports indicate that Njombe had the lowest price as a 100-kilo bag was sold at Sh60,000.

Arusha followed, with the price being Sh62,000.

Morogoro had the highest price: at Sh180,000.

Globally, experts say wheat is grown on more land area than any other food crop (220.4 million hectares, 2014). World trade in wheat is greater than for all other crops combined. In 2016, world production of wheat was 749 million tonnes, making it the second most-produced cereal after maize.