Browsing: food prices

• The annual inflation rate for February 2023 increased by 7.2 per cent compared to 4.5 per cent recorded in February 2022.
• On a monthly basis, inflation rate increased to 0.4 per cent compared to 1.1 per cent registered in the earlier month.
• Load-shedding in South Africa is preventing farmers from buying livestock from Namibia.  

In February, the cost of goods and services increased more sharply and the outlook does not appear promising, particularly regarding food, which saw a 14 per cent hike. The Namibian Statistics Agency disclosed inflation figures for February yesterday, with the month displaying a 7.2 per cent rate, one percentage point higher than January’s inflation rate.

This 7.2 per cent is taking the country back to August 2022 when inflation reached a peak of 7.3 per cent. While most goods and services’ prices have increased overall, service inflation continues to weigh on headline inflation, rising at a …

Some worry that monetary policy is still excessively accommodating, given that rate hikes have not matched inflation. Policy cooperation may be beneficial. Fiscal consolidation and a mix of rate rises and currency depreciation may play a role in nations where policy is overly permissive.

The shaky recovery in Sub-Saharan Africa, coupled with domestic demand constraints, has not significantly fueled inflation so far. However, in the coming months, governments and policymakers must carefully monitor and prioritise tackling the rising inflation in Africa.…

The agricultural transformation in Sierra Leone has demonstrated that delivery changes in traditional sectors may significantly impact food production when implemented effectively and under the appropriate circumstances.…

A currency crisis is defined as a quick and abrupt depreciation of a country’s currency. Currency depreciation goes in tandem with turbulent markets and a loss of confidence in the country’s economy. Historically, crises have arisen when market expectations induce significant movements in the value of currencies.

The global economy is now in turmoil. As the world economy enters another era of a currency crisis, the value of the US dollar keeps rising. Over half of all international trade is billed in dollars. A stronger dollar thus hurts consumers globally, particularly in Africa, who rely on dollars to pay for imports.

The US Federal Reserve’s hawkish approach to increasing interest rates more aggressively than central banks in other major countries has contributed to the dollar’s appreciation. The fact that investors generally see the dollar as a “safe haven” asset during times of economic turmoil has added to its resilience.…

Zambia has dealt with the legacy of years of economic mismanagement, with an especially inefficient public investment drive.  Zambia has been in debt distress. Therefore, the country needed a deep and comprehensive debt treatment to place public debt on a sustainable path.…

Rising costs have remained a critical issue in the aftermath of the outbreak. Data from the World Bank/NBS Nigeria – COVID-19 National Longitudinal Phone Survey 2020 reveals that food prices rose rapidly following the pandemic. In March and April, basic food commodity prices increased by 17.2 per cent and 18.37 per cent, respectively. According to the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), the rise remains the highest in two years.

Recent findings based on comprehensive and long-term monthly food price data have revealed considerable price rises for all chosen food categories during the pandemic. Imported rice and wheat costs, for example, have climbed by 41% and 21%, respectively.

Wheat prices surged by 21% nationally, with considerable increases in price dispersion across markets when the epidemic began, and prices continue to grow.

Wheat is the main component of bread and other products such as noodles, pasta, semolina, and other Nigerian pantry staples. …