The Famine Early Warning Systems Network (FEWS NET) monitors price trends for staple foods in countries vulnerable to food insecurity. For each country and region covered by FEWS NET, the Price Bulletin provides a set of charts showing monthly prices for the current trading year for selected urban centers, and allowing the user to compare current trends both to five-year averages, which indicate seasonal trends, and to prices from the previous year.
Corn and cassava constitute the staple foods for the majority of Congolese people given their uses in the preparation of the dough called foufou. Local production of corn and cassava remains below local consumption needs, which explains the large importation of corn flour to make up the deficit. Rice comes third in terms of importance in household diets and is more consumed in large cities. The bean is generally used as an accompanying food and is eaten in both urban and rural areas. Palm oil is used in food preparation and is more consumed by poor households. Corn, cassava, rice and beans are sold in almost all major markets in the provinces of the eastern part of the country. The price of fuel (gasoline), to which is added the state of road infrastructure that connects rural production areas to large consumer markets, complements other multiple factors that can influence food prices in the East. of the country.
