The capacity utilisation in the food, beverage and tobacco sub-sector is now peaking at 50 per cent, making it the most developed in the manufacturing sector today Capacity utilisation is the rate at which manufacturing companies are able to use their raw materials in the installed capacity for production.

East African states have been hit hard by the current inflation caused by surging global fuel and food prices.

An international accord on coffee production and commercialisation was signed last Monday, in London, between Angola and the United Kingdom, aimed at re-launching the cooperation in this field between the two countries.

A price war has began in the sugar industry as rising production costs threaten to push millers out of business.

Youth leader of Faima in the Nomo Chiefdom, Kenema District has disclosed to Concord Times in Kenema that residents in their chiefdom could die of hunger due to the increase in prices of local commodities caused by poor road conditions.

East Africa's maize prices are still high although a harvest season is approaching, a Regional Agricultural Trade Intelligence Network (Ratin) report shows.

Zanzibar's current account recorded a surplus of $0.7 million in March this year from a deficit of $3.5 million the previous month.

The coffee industry regulator is optimistic of improved crop output next season on the back of a favourable weather.

THE Grain Marketing Board has cancelled licences of two millers and suspended those of three others for various offences that include overpricing and diverting their maize allocations meant for maize-meal production to the black market.

IN times of high inflation, prices and incomes need to be frequently adjusted to maintain real value of both.

Over the weekend a highly placed official of the ministry of Trade called me complaining that the Daily Monitor's headline on Friday, Govt sets prices for commodities - was erroneous and gave a wrong impression.

On the surface, Finance minister Ezra Suruma is right to reject demands from members of parliament to subsidize food prices for the poor.

COMMODITY prices are determined by the market forces of demand and supply and not by the the Government, a senior official has clarified.

Consumers of wheat products are hoping for a reduction in prices after the government opened a window for the importation of duty free wheat flour.

On the usually bustling Koinange Street in Nairobi, Chai House towers like a solid testimony of the power of the tea industry. On the ground floor is a splendid tea cafe, The T-Spot, that has marked the battle lines in the race of the tea cup.

The World's renowned Liberian child rights activist, Kimmie Weeks, has warned the United States Congress that the escalation of prices of basic commodities and other staple food would undoubtedly cause a widespread political unrest in Africa which could derail years of progress towards development and stability. Kimmie Weeks raised the concern as he testified before the Congressional Human Rights ...

The Government is going to streamline importation of sugar in order to protect local millers from unfair competition from cheap imports.

An article appearing in Business Daily (May 12) titled Kenya Tea Loses Flavour in Pakistan must have alarmed local tea producers.

The hunger riots arising from soaring food prices are a terrible human drama. The world price of wheat has nearly tripled in three years, and doubled in the last year; the price of rice has increased by more than 50 per cent in three months.

THE share price of minerals explorer Miranda Mineral Holdings (MMH) soared to a high of 260c on Friday after it hosted an unusually warm reception for investment managers at its KwaZulu-Natal coal projects on Thursday.

The National Brotherhood of Teamster Union of Liberia (NBT-Liberia) is calling on the Government of Liberia to rethink its decision by allowing the Haddad Group of Companies to once again commence the importation of rice.

The recent agro-industry meeting held in Dar es Salaam had small entrepreneurs exchanging contacts with international traders and would soon start selling commodities abroad.

In a bid to fight procurement corruption in public offices, the government has issued prices for common consumer goods that are clearly at odds with the surging market rates.

Malawi's tobacco industry has been in turmoil after wildly fluctuating prices led protesting farmers to force the closure of the auction floors.

The Government yesterday revoked 16 export trade licences as it began a radical purge of suspected cartels in the sugar industry, raising hopes that the pressure on consumer prices could ease.