# Food Price Forecasting in Rwanda
## Overview
This project analyzes and forecasts food prices in Rwanda using time series data from the United Nations Humanitarian Data Exchange Global Food Price Database. Agriculture constitutes over 30% of Rwanda's economy and over 60% of its export earnings (CIA World Factbook), making food price analysis critical for understanding the livelihood of many Rwandans.
## Dataset
The project includes price data for **nine agricultural commodities** spanning from **2008 to 2015**:
- Beans (dry)
- Cassava
- Chili (red)
- Maize
- Oranges (big size)
- Peas (fresh)
- Potatoes (Irish)
- Sorghum
- Tomatoes
### Data Structure
Each CSV file in the `data/` folder contains the following columns:
| Column | Description |
|--------|------------|
| `adm0_id` | Country code. Always 215 (int) |
| `adm0_name` | Country name. Always "Rwanda" (char) |
| `adm1_id` | Region code (int) |
| `adm1_name` | Region name (chr) |
| `mkt_id` | Market code (int) |
| `mkt_name` | Market name (chr) |
| `cm_id` | Commodity code (int) |
| `cm_name` | Commodity name (chr) |
| `cur_id` | Currency code. Always 77 (int) |
| `cur_name` | Currency name. Always "RWF" (chr) |
| `pt_id` | Price type code. Always 15 (int) |
| `pt_name` | Price type name. Always "Retail" (chr) |
| `um_id` | Unit of measurement code (int) |
| `um_name` | Unit of measurement name. Always "KG" (chr) |
| `mp_month` | Month when price occurred (int) |
| `mp_year` | Year when price occurred. 2008 to 2015 (int) |
| `mp_price` | Price of 1 unit of commodity in currency (dbl) |
| `mp_commoditysource` | Data source. Always "MINAGRI" (chr) |
### Geographic Coverage
The data covers multiple regions of Rwanda:
- **West** (Iburengerazuba)
- **North** (Amajyaruguru)
- **Kigali City**
- **East** (Iburasirazuba)
Markets include: Birambo, Rusine, Nyamirambo, and others across the country.
## Project Structure
```
.
├── data/ # CSV files for each commodity
│ ├── Beans (dry).cs …