With the festive season at hand, Civil Society Organizations and Economists among other stakeholders have been urging Consumers to focus on buying essential commodities in a bid to save their income.
This is on the back of the current economic challenges the country has been facing witnessed from the weakening of the Zambian Kwacha, Rising inflation rate and the Basic Needs and Nutritional Food Basket as measured by the Jesuit Centre for Theological reflection (JCTR) which stood at K7, 126.62. For a family of five in November coupled with the Covid-19 pandemic
The Money FM News Crew took a random check on how essential commodities mostly referred to as Groceries are selling on Retail Price as of 23rd December 2020.
A 25 Kg Bag Breakfast Millie-meal was K130, Cooking oil 2 Liter K89 Kwacha, 1 Kg Sugar K17.50 Ngwee and K34 for 2Kg.
Peanut Butter 1kgwas buying at K48, 300 grams of peanut butter at K18 and 400 grams at K20.
A loaf of bread K13 and a pan of ban K20.
The increase in Bread and other flour products was attributed to increased cost of production in the Wheat Value Chain.
Tissue is priced from K5 to K9 on average, Panadol K1, Cafemol, K1 and methylated Spirit from as low as K5.50 Ngwee.
According to JCTR, Food expenditures are not only a key national poverty indicator but also linked to dietary intake and nutritional outcomes for households. The increase in the price of certain food items may be as a result of an increase in demand for such foods as people switch from the more expensive foods to the less expensive ones.