Food imports reach P7.8bn

Steep: As at September, cooking oil prices were on average 44 percent higher than the same month in 2021
Steep: As at September, cooking oil prices were on average 44 percent higher than the same month in 2021

The value of food imported in the first seven months of the year reached P7.8 billion, driven by both demand and inflation, which averaged 11.4% over the period.

Comparisons with the trends over the same period are difficult to make as data for two months in 2021 is missing.

However, numbers made available this week by Statistics Botswana indicate that from a figure of P871.4 million in May, the country’s food import bill ballooned to P2.3 billion in June.

Editor's Comment
Micro-procurement maze demands urgent reform

Whilst celebrating milestones in inclusivity, with notably P5 billion awarded to vulnerable groups, the report sounds a 'siren' on a dangerous and growing trend: the ballooning use of micro-procurement. That this method, designed for small-scale, efficient purchases, now accounts for a staggering 25% (P8 billion) of total procurement value is not a sign of agility, but a 'red flag'. The PPRA’s warning is unequivocal and must be...

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