Highlights
• The Survival Minimum Expenditure Baskets’ (SMEBs) values continue to escalate, reaching record highs across the country as the inflation rate surged to 23.5 percent in June 2022.
• The SMEB increased by 10.1 percent in the rural Northern Region; by 6.6 percent in the rural Central Region; and by 7.6 percent in the rural Southern Region; and by 3.6 percent in urban areas. Both food and nonfood expenditure rose in all the regions. A significant share of the SMEBs increase came from the rise in the prices of maize grain, green vegetables, and firewood as well as milling cost.
• By mid-July, maize grain was trading at MK 307 per kg, increasing by 5.5 percent since the last round in early July 2022. Price projections show that the price of maize grain will continue to rise until harvest in April next year, peaking in February 2023.
• The price of beans increased by 2.2 percent to MK 1,331 per kg since the previous round. Modelling shows that the price of beans is projected to be the highest in January 2023.
• The price of cowpeas slightly increased by 2.8 percent to MK 804 per kg while that of pigeon peas fell sharply by 17.5 percent to MK 624 per kg since Round 58.
Source: World Food Programme