People report bread, staple food prices surge in Sudan

People in West Kordofan and North Darfur have complained about the surge of the prices for bread and other consumer goods.

Residents of Babanusa told Radio Dabanga that the bread price rose to two Pounds. “The increase in the price of bread was imposed by bakery owners a week ago, on the pretext of a lack of flour,” a resident said.

Sacks of flour have therefore become more expensive and prices in the black market rose to SDG1,150 ($41*) a piece.

In North Darfur’s Kutum, residents also complained about the rise in consumer prices. A kilo of meat now costs SDG150 ($5.30), rice SDG160 ($5.70), lentils SDG60 ($2.13) and Egyptian beans SDG40 ($1.40).

Sacks of sugar and flour have become more expensive too, and a gallon of gasoline costs SDG200 ($7.10) where a gallon of diesel costs SDG150, a resident reported. “Millet, sorghum, dried okra and dried tomatoes have become more expensive too,” he said, which are considered staple food products in Sudan.

Opposition parties and farmers have warned for a serious food crisis this year. The US Famine Early Warning Systems Network (FEWS NET) reported in June that the soaring staple food and fuel prices are reducing the production of crops and consequently increasing the assistance needs in the country.

Apart from continuing fuel shortages and a scarcity of wheat, the majority of the Sudanese are suffering from an acute lack of medicines, repeated power cuts and drinking water outages.

* Based on the indicative US Dollar rate quoted by the Central Bank of Sudan (CboS)