Basic commodity price survey

thrust of the survey was to find the behaviour of prices for different commodities.
The comparison was taken for the period of May 2011 using January 2011 prices as the base prices for comparison.
Observations from the
survey
The price of bread remained stable costing US$1 for a standard loaf.
The prices of most commodities on the list had increased with the exception of four commodities whose averaged price had decreased. These are Gloria Self-Raising Flour 2kg, Sunstar cooking oil 2lt, kapenta 250g and Sunbeam floor polish 375ml
Eight commodities on the list had price increases of more than 10 percent. These are pork 1kg, Omo washing powder 500g, Red Seal fine salt 1kg, green bar laundry soap 1kg, tomatoes 1kg, cabbage head, Cairns baked beans 425g and Colgate toothpaste 50ml.
The other commodities on the list that increased slightly in price were brown sugar, Ingram’s camphor cream and every day milk powder whose aggregated increases ranged between 1,0 percent and 1,90 percent. Below is a table showing price trends:
Generally prices have increased very steeply in the first quarter of 2011 driven by the strengthening of the rand against major currencies and increases in international commodity prices including petroleum products.
However, prices have stabilised since April 2011 for most basic commodities.
l National Incomes and Pricing Commission
3rd Floor, Runhare House
Cnr Fourth Street/Kwame Nkrumah, Harare.
Mr E. Ndlovu 0777 095 698
Mr L. Borerwe 0773 979 108