Addis Ababa - 02/05/2008 Panapress –High food prices and overall inflation have exacerbated the food security problem here, according to the UN Office for Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA).
Quoting UN agencies, including the World Food Programme, OCHA reported this week the high prices have significantly affected the purchasing power of Ethiopia’s urban poor, agriculturalists, pastoralists, and agro-pastoralists that depend on the market.
According to the central statistics authority, country-level general food inflation has reached 29.6 per cent.
Meanwhile, the government was taking measures to stabilise food prices, including lifting of value-added and turnover taxes on food items.
In addition, it distributed subsidised wheat to some 800,000 needy households in major urban areas.
In the capital, Addis Ababa, traders and buyers at the central Merkato market told PANA Friday that a 100kg bag of the staple teff was selling at 625 Birr on average, up from 300 Birr a few months ago.
The price of local chicken has shot up from 40 Birr to 90 Birr while a medium size sheep goes for 600 Birr, large sheep fetches 1,000 Birr and the average price of beef is now 40 Birr per kilo.
“We are in a desperate situation. We don’t know what has happened in this country. But where else can we go,” said Serkalem Molla, a housewife, who was buying vegetables at the market.
Prime Minister Meles Zenawi said early this week his government had no other urgent agenda than to bring down the sky-rocketing cost of living in the country.
Speaking at a meeting of trade union representatives, Meles said the government would keep on subsidising major food items as part of its bid to address the problem.
Acknowledging that on its own the government could not tame prices, Meles called for public support to check the rising cost of living in the country.
May 3rd, 2008 at 5:56 am
tplf government is taking the country to abyss.
May 3rd, 2008 at 9:11 am
Behailu….
Can you please stop swearing at the government for the moment.
This article is MAINLY about hunger.
please, come up with a humanitarian solution to the dying ppl. And, it’s a very urgent issue.
Swearing at the government doesn’t help the starving n dying ppl.
As citizens, what shall we do NOW, just NOW to spare the dying soul of our people??????????
May 3rd, 2008 at 11:36 am
Ethiopia will never get out of Hunger unless TPLF resigns.
The farmers can not produce and sell as they wish. Peopel are divided in ethnic lines. The weyanes are promoting flower economy and import of huge cheap chinese gadgets.
The TPLf regime is feeding more than 200,000 soldiers who do not produce any thing. Ethiopian army should get out of somalia !
Our fertile lands are given to Sudan. Ethiopians must boycott and sabotage the economy as tehy are doing now to destabilize the weyane system.
May 3rd, 2008 at 2:45 pm
Sadened
The solution is one and only one.
To bring down this evil Woyane.
May 3rd, 2008 at 7:42 pm
how can ethiopia feed her children with so mch geverment made problems. Melse and his regime is the the source of our Hunger problem. They are corrupted. they robe the money and save in swiss banks. Meles has over 60 Millioen Dollar
May 4th, 2008 at 1:41 am
We all have lay down and pray to Our Almighty God for this mess. There will be no solution with the presence of zenawi and with his woyanne regime.
Death to zenawi
May 4th, 2008 at 5:06 am
weyan’s date are counted
May 9th, 2008 at 3:39 pm
Your problem is not about the price of teff hiking up it’s about you losing your business. Be smart and try to create another business. Otherwise go arround and apply for jobs. Leave Teff for for those who are suffering of hunger back home!!