The demand for beef and fish drastically increased during the festive season, The New Times’ mini-survey found out.

The price of beef increased from Rwf3,500 to over Rwf4,000 per kilo while that of fish hit between Rwf4,300 and RwfRwf5,000.

"This was the first festive season that people enjoyed after recovery from Covid-19. Therefore, people were eager to celebrate the festive season,” Gerard Mugire, one of the workers at Nyabugogo modern Abattoir, told The New Times.

He said that the number of cows they bought, per day, increased from 150 to more than 500 cows, since December 23.

"The demand has drastically increased and traders increased meat prices. Some butchers are hiking meat prices although the wholesale price is Rwf3,200,” Mugire said.

He said the Rwanda Inspectorate, Competition, and Consumer Protection Authority (RICA) need to look into how to regulate prices.

"There is no reason for increasing beef prices."

The demand for fish also increased.

Cynthia Umutesi, a cashier at Fine Fish Ltd, a wholesale fish company in Kimironko market, said they were previously selling between 800 kilos and one tonne of Tilapia fish per day.

"The sales have increased to three tonnes of Tilapia per day during the festive season,” he said.

Some other prices also increased on the market.

One Kilogramme of peas increased to between Rwf2,500 and Rwf3,000, from Rwf1,500.

The New Times learnt, from consumers in Kigali, that beverages such as Heineken, soft drinks, Primus, Mutzig, Turbo King, and Legend drastically increased two weeks ago.

"A beer crate of Primus is being purchased from distributors between Rwf10,000 and Rwf10,500 while that of Mutzig goes for Rwf13,000 before retail,” Beatrice Uwiragiye, a vendor in Kimironko sector, Nyagatovu cell, confirmed.

A crate of Heineken goes for Rwf19,900 from distributors, Turbo King crate goes for 15,000 while that of Legend goes for Rwf18,100, according to a bar manager near Amahoro stadium.

"The price of one beer crate for most of the beverages was increased by at least Rwf1, 000,” she noted.

Food and non-alcoholic beverages had increased by 39.7 per cent in October 2022 compared to the same month of 2021, according to Rwanda’s Consumer Price Index (CPI) released on November 10.

Food and non-alcoholic beverages prices in urban areas increased by 29.2 per cent during the month of August compared to the same period in 2021.