Food inflation in Africa is shrinking portions

in Kisumu, western Kenya, Walter Otieno plops balls of dough into a fizzing pan. After a minute or two the encrusted orbs, known as mandazi, are ready for sale. But his customers may not feel as full as they once did. Mr Otieno has halved the size of his “African doughnuts”, as the snack is also called, which he sells for ten Kenyan shillings (about eight cents) each. “I’m forced to do it to break even,” he explains. The . A ten-litre jug of cooking oil goes for 3,000 shillings, up from 2,000 in January; flour is two-thirds dearer than a few months ago. In October Kenya’s food-price inflation reached an annual rate of 16%, the highest rate on record. The knock-on effects of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine have compounded the impact of .