Saturday, November 23, 2024

Mealie meal prices to fall

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The Food Reserve Agency (FRA) has projected a further reduction in mealie-meal prices but has urged Government to increase its budgetary allocation for it to effectively carry out its mandate of ensuring food security in the country.

FRA executive director, Anthony Mwanaumo, said in Lusaka yesterday that some milling companies were still using their old stock of maize bought at a higher price and they would be expected to reduce the prices of their mealie-meal when they start using stocks bought at a lower price from the FRA.

Dr Mwanaumo was speaking in Lusaka during the recording of “Culture Remodeling” television programme hosted by the Ministry of Finance and National Planning.

He said the FRA has worked out procedures for the release of stock and has effected protective mechanisms to ensure stabilisation and subsequent reduction of mealie-meal prices.

The FRA has reduced the price of a 50kg bag of maize from the previous K63,000 to K55,000.

The agency has also increased maize supply to millers from 30,000 metric tonnes to 60,000 metric tonnes per month.

When the country is not experiencing a maize deficit, the agency supplies the millers with only 30,000 metric tonnes each month. The quantity is half of the total amount of maize consumed nationwide each month.

The agency plans to purchase an additional 163,000 metric tonnes of locally supplied white maize to meet the millers’ requirements and to replenish the strategic reserves.
Dr Mwanaumo said that the agency has 80,000 metric tonnes of maize in its strategic reserves and that it needs more funding for it to operate better.

He said Government’s allocation of K80 billion for the 2008-09 marketing season was a 67 per cent reduction from the previous season’s allocation. In the 2007-08 marketing season Government allocated K240 billion.

He declined to say how much the agency would need to operate to expectations, but said that the FRA was in dire need of more funding.

“We have 80,000 metric tonnes in strategic reserves…Our stocks are relatively low. You have seen us of late importing and buying stocks from the local growers,” Dr Mwanaumo said.

He said the FRA has learnt something critical from borrowing in order to meet its objectives. This was in reference to the K270 billion that the FRA borrowed for the 2006- 2007 marketing seasons.

“When you borrow, you cannot achieve your desired goals considering that you have to pay back interest. We borrowed K270 billion and at least we managed to pay back the debt,” he said.

Dr Mwanaumo said that the FRA has a storage capacity of 2 million metric tonnes of maize and that it realised K7 billion in the last three years through the provision of market access to farmers.

He said most peasant farmers have improved their livelihoods because the FRA has been able to buy produce.

Dr Mwanaumo said the FRA has proposed a higher budgetary allocation for the next farming season to enable it meet its obligations of ensuring food security.

He said in view of the global credit crunch there was need for increased production and improved market access for the farmers.

He said that Zambia’s maize production capacity was far from being attained.

Dr Mwanaumo said Government must encourage irrigation farming, production of diversified crops and enhance the fertiliser support programme.

He has also noted that Zambia’s crop production belt had shifted from Southern Province to Northern Province.

Dr Mwanaumo said this was why the FRA closed some satellite depots in the Southern Province and opened more in Northern Province.

Daily Mail

139 COMMENTS

  1. Ladies and Gentlemen lets contribute money and get INFECTED MEAT a ‘Rabbit’ from Zamnet. He is still using a ‘PTC’ land line :((:(( Deposit it his in Acc: 0098767600,Mwachuleni Savers Account, Lima Bank, John Chinena Branch. Chibombo

  2. Trouble is , whether these mealie meal drop, There will be a slight shortage of the commodity, which is bound to push the prices of the mealie meal up again. You cant control the prices unless you control, the supply first. These are temporal, nonsense headlines, we dont need.
    Where are the promises of the pre campaign MMD?

  3. Maureen you are fighting a losing battle. Something called fighitng a defenseless man.

    Get real and stop worshipping me like that on a Sunday, the precedence of winding me up, has proved a losing battle, for many a lot.

    Should i remind you to watch your typo, as it says a lot about you. No one has ever knocked out a wall, and you could as well be another of my victims. I am trying to curb all my anger.

    You know nothing about me hun, and neither would i want to.

    So do the right thing

  4. In hindsight i think RB was probably the safest of the options of the three presidents, perharps we ought to supprt him, the indications are that he could well, go for another term in 2011. The constitution does not deter him in doing so….

  5. [-x Ba Maureen ah ah ah stop that…You are a good person….stop fighting on the blogg. Meanwhile quit Poor Finishing!

  6. Since the price of maize meal is “going down” ….. Matworld and i have a bit of money to spare. So, we have decided to buy some boxing gloves so that Ba Maureen and INFECTED MEAT can sort each other out.
    Mwachilamo …. youre luck Baby C is not here, sembe ami kwapula

  7. #16 Infected meat….Ba Maureen is heels over the head for you…go for her mwana if you are available. Lucky man you are!

  8. I just graduated with a PHD. But will talk muchibemba iwe IM chawama tautukile Molini. iwe molini umwaume alaponona ala techakwesha. nomba bushe chimshi ba bweshesha akabunga ifi?

    Elyo futi mwabukashani bonse uko. Ine nine Dokta ala nalipasa fyonse kuno ku skotlandi, ntoteleniko

  9. #18.chawama ba dokta. I hope your Doctorate is not in Bemba Studies, bcoz you cud have saved some money by doing it right here with Doc Sata(Dean of….)

  10. iwe sela jones walyupwa? ine nine dokta elyo nachipwisha amasambililo, ala its been a long jane. ata ukusambilishwa kwapwa.
    Iwe injini namba 14 niwe ani? wafuma pamushi inshi? nikwi kumushi?

  11. ala 21 natotela bu dokta nakwata bwamu midiko sciences. My aim ku chita ama teachings pa UNZA nagu p evelyn Hone college.

    ndeisa na britsh airways very soon. ala nshalelala ukubelnga , its worth it mwandini pa last mwe.

    baiche study hard if you want to be like me , or like proffesor luo staudy hard thats the ki

  12. I think as zambians we need to move away from nsima in the morning, nsima at lunch and nsima in the evening. For a change lets try cassava, millet, rice, etc and this will reduce demand on maize and you know what follows………..If we cant do without nsima, let us inculcate this in our children………

  13. We have another Doc here, Dr Maureen. He got his honorary Doctrate for fighting(not freedom fighting but fighting another blogger known as INFECTED MEAT!)

  14. #26….ha ha ha!

    As for RB, instead of wasting money on “Image builders”, lets him hire some of these bloggers as “Brain Builders” that would help Zed!!!

  15. i sm the only doctor here

    also i can prove my papers by faksing in zambia to show i am true, also check my univsity you ken si my nemu.

    i worked that i chellenje you to get a PHD like me, iam only 58, and i have it some tske long befor achieving this.

  16. #24. sense! i recently diversified myself and i only eat nsima when i miss it. Rice is relatively expensive though, and the other foods for Zedians are ‘relish’ But your point is valid and the earlier we find cheaper alternatives for nsima the better to avoid future disasters.

  17. #28, pHD at 58! that was late! If I dont one before 40 then I wont go for one. Life starts at 40. Mudala careful, maybe you left your future behind!

  18. Bushe uyu infected meat aliba normal nangu awe.He is now becoming like Maestro,Fine, and Golyati.When he appears,just know that there will be fighting.Uichindike boyi! Coming to the issue of mealie meal,that wil be great.Dont play with the price of akabunga.Akabwali kafuma kubunga ka!

  19. #31(kajam). you are the one who is useles. Instead of posting a sensible comment,you chose to demean everyone. Typical failure and i bet you are an illegal resident there. Mind you,they are coming after you.

  20. 31 you are the only useless one , on here yu ken ask enwanu, ni mesenji nshi ulandile, i hopu tauli iligo imigranti. 58 is oldi for a PHD , what if i livi till iam 90, ima proud of my phd, very very proud.

  21. 34 Sharp Shooter its not my fault that they refused you entry at Heathrow Airport with your fake bank statements and qualifications.You are typical imbercile mate. :)>-

  22. 39 Kajam leave him alone he is more grown up than you are, limbi niwe iligo immiglant . he is better off. bwelelamo ku kalingalinga. stop faiting baiche, kuleni Infected , chewe, kajama you are showing you are veli young , only a useless pesoni will join in the infighting, kwit it, ubututu

    sambilileni ngaine, ninebo mulechita aspaya to be

  23. #39, i visit the Uk every summer except the previous one(I was home). Unlike you who is a PI,when iam there i do anything i want because of the nature of my Passport.Be watchful before they pounce on you. Let me remind youback home things havent yet stabilised and if you havent saved enough, Chibuku is waiting for you.

  24. Am launching campaign to decampaign this Kjam guy.
    please click on the thumbs down and give him a red card!

  25. Mwaice Infected Meat wasamwasana. Yesterday you were winding people up and today you are doing the same.

    We learnt from yesterday you are married to a Chinese and you will be 23 tomorrow. We now know you are doing your ACCA. I think you are the only person who is learned here.

    Take your stu*pidity uko. Kaili nomucinshi tawakwata.

    Your English is appaling for a person into accounting. One wonders how you even found yourelf here.
    Dalo dalo, how can someone call himself Infected Meat?

  26. Can LT get the ip addresses of such krektas and ban them. Is there anyone more anoying than kajam. umuchinshi kaja, ubututu

    as phd holder i feel shamed to be associated with this manless man

  27. ati 23 he should watch his mouth if he is he was ataking molini. zedian what was he saying kanshi, do not argue with kids, or you bring yourself down like them. ignore them. you dont come and insult make contribyushons , an attack on anyone bupuba , if you ataki them also ulichipuba igno them.
    why should he apset you, ala baihe sambilileni, napapata

  28. Kajam why? Why these personal attacks on LT now?

    UMUGAZEBO and FAMILY, some people are better left alone. Just leave him alone.

  29. Dr Kwesa Malimbana :A doctor who works in Burger King.You are better off getting a cleaning job as you are very unemployable at 58 son sorry grandfather.. :d

  30. I said it yesterday,that most of these new bloggers,are full of nothing but ma elele.And they are now just fighting.Nikakambako,ati Chewe kukambakamba.

  31. No 47

    It’s pretty pathetic to knock My name like that Zedian?. I am not married to a chinese , i said my inlaws live there. need i buy you a dictionary !
    May i remind you Infected Meat (as you clearly states), is not my name but rather an anology representing my avatar, on blogs.

    Perharps if you were half as educated as you are pretending to you wouldn’t post such flippant drivel.
    In fairness, judging by the words and the mentality you have shown in your juvenile post without refering to the topic , you probably would.

  32. 3RQU, Kajamu and no 47 are almost certainly one person, as per evident in their comments, which are inter linked. Kajamu’s comments on Sharp Shooter should be condemned , there is no room for them on these blogs. Personal cheap and malicious comments says a lot about the person, who is writting them, and no the intended recipient one should note.

    I will educate you by asking you to visit

    Collosians 3:13

    and perharps you will curb your incoherent insults

  33. #45 what kind of proper job are you claiming? cleaning and mopping. I was really shocked when i was there to note that Zambians that side are not proud of our Mother Zed.When asked, a zambian will say”Im British,canadian etc”.To say the truth,you are one of them because you dont have proper docs.I know of 3RqU and Dr Kwesa Malimbana are proud of Zed, Thats why the Doc is going back to teach Medicine

  34. stop it leave it alone. others are making mincemeat of others, iwe meat, leave your friends alone. chewe stop calling names lets grow up, if you take a side you a loser , to win stay in the middle and condemn this , love each other napapata

  35. Zedian nice try, u suppose i have put you in your place, i didnt say i am not married i said my inlaws live there meaning i am married. What a twat you are, get a life, as clearly has had the better of you.

  36. Dont call me Mwaiche, i dont know anything about you I suppose you read your cheap attacks on me, like ‘ I think you are the only person who is learned here.’

    Stay away from me, a recipe for disaster. For someone calling me Mwaiche, you dont show anything that shows you are not atleast Mentally young yourself !

  37. Yeah mon, let de prices fall. We nah like weh a gwaan inna Zed nowadays. Bigga heads dem nuh care ’bout poor people no more.

  38. Zedian stop winding me up. Perharps you have found me somehow, worth knowing. Get real and get a character atleast, iam off to get the glimpse of the FA cup Draw. Good bye Z 😛

  39. Mr Infected “get a character”?:o
    Are you sure you are doing ACCA? I know Zambians to be smarter than that especially if they are doing ACCA.:d

  40. Dr KWESA you are the most irritating blogger on this site. Your bemba jokes are too dry. I think you need an image builder. kajam you are also one boring frog !

  41. #70 Not everyone studying in the UK is intelligent. Times have changed. Some people are here because their parents can afford the fees!

  42. #54 you have a good choice of english. zedian will break his keyboard if he tries to tailgate you. Peace Accord with me ? so that we talk about real issues

  43. On the subject of qualifications.

    Yes, it is always a great achievement when one comes through all the hardships of studying. However, the certificate is not an end in itself, what matters is how you apply the knowledge you have acquired – until you can do that successfully, all you have done is gained a piece of paper. Most people with the right opportunities, resources, commitment, interest and a modicum of effort can achieve the same.

    So well done to the qualified, best wishes to the students, and good lack to all.

  44. Ba Maulin since when have you been a creditable person.You are just as useless as an empty bag of charcoal.. :-\”

  45. Ba Maureen we all know that you came to the UK as a chambermaid so stop hating on people who came hear via parents hard work..dombo

  46. What is happening today?fighting on a sunday!! Iamsure the devil and his angels are celebrating.This is serious 8->8->8->8->8->8->8->

  47. Are people so insecure in themselves that this blog provides them with an opportunity to pretend that they are superior to others? What a sad state to be in! Individuals who are comfortable with their own personal achievements and are not lacking in confidence do not need the assurance of strangers to reassert their self-belief. However those who need their egos caressed will do anything to be noticed, even at the risk of being ridiculed on a site such as this.

  48. Ba kajam, elyo mwasambilila ukubeya amaso and now you want to start uku gonzela kuli G~String yandi. nde kupwisha you will dread the site of a keyboard mwaiche.

  49. You can always tell when the ‘haters’ & bad-minded people (indoshi) come out to blogg…I won’t mention any names, you know yourselves.

  50. Guys, let’s not waste time and space of this data base on meaningless bragging. LT is not a bragging or wailling wall. Instead we should use it to share ideas, talk about our beloved country, give inputs on the topics at hand, maybe exchange jokes, trivias, to entertain ourselves and make us better global & Zambian citizens. Whenever my German colleagues want to read something about Zambia, I feel so ashamed to give them this link because of a few rotten comments. I refer them to allAfrica.com.

  51. #86 . it takes one to know the other. walishibafye naiwe. stay out if you want to enjoy your sunday. there is a mealie meal war raging right now

  52. No. 89 Nine Chale, I do the same, which is a shame because LT has some good stories but it is not a site I can readily recommend because a few small minded people are too intent on ensuring that the site is dragged into the gutter with their inept and simply childish postings. I think LT should help clean up the mess in this regard – I am sure some advertisers would welcome a site with intelligent debate. You have led the way LT but it is time to ensure you stay ahead. We can all help LT by using the voting buttons they have provided to highlight useless comments, which LT will the remove in line with their stated policy….

  53. ..”Any comments the editors deem inappropriate will be removed from the site without explanation, prior notice and liability. If you feel a comment is inappropriate, first vote it down and then please inform the editors through the contact us link above , stating the comment number and the title of the article the comment is associated with. We will review the material for possible deletion.” (lusakatimes.com/?page_id=3703)

  54. Regulars I got nambala 100!

    Nine Chale, Matworld, Umugazebo, Pinkly, Cutey, Girly, Chewe and the others.

    I think you should throw a party for me :o)

  55. get Jobs people,this is a new year and it requires all of u to be focused and look for jobs if u r jobless and spend less time blogging

  56. 100. 3RqU

    You seem to be having low self esteem, and calling on others to rally behind you… mmh, Nambala, is being banned by LT as was requested, i hope you have more meaningful contributions, and If you need any more rallying troops, i am sure they will keep joining i suggest you keep mentioning anyone who condones most of your tasteless comments 🙂

  57. Matworld I am amazed my comments have been deleted on the other side.

    LT this is really a joke. The other day I stood by you for publishing a photo which one of your photographers had taken and you actually published it.

    A certain Zambian complains and what do you do put a an age restriction on it. Why did you publish it in the first place?

    Africa will never stop to amuse. Nabamitinya!

  58. 106 They are not comments they are self fulfilling dilussional, Number #

    If those fits a comment , then i am worried about you, the NHS is free in this country you see ..

  59. I am not here to educate you 3RQU, Education is not that expensive, if you financially struggling, i have a mortgage as well to pay you see 😛

  60. 3RQU, good evening I am off now man, enjoy your evening, I am sure our personality clash will be rife yet again, tommorrow. Oh and if i make a mistake by your high standards, please hopefully rectify or help me.

  61. 1. “They are not comments they are self fulfilling dilussional”

    “If those fits a comment , then i am worried about you, the NHS is free in this country you see ..”

    1. I am not sure what you were trying to say in 1. But the fact that you said are self fulling dilussional is all wrong.

    “If those fits a” is not correct. If those fit sounds better.

    Do not shout son!

  62. You 2 whats the use. Inf Meat sometimes you contribute ifyamano limbi uleyitaya

    imwe ba 3Rqu if you old enaf why respond to this boy? namufulwa, mulabeniko fye, ukulaka nomwaiche tamwewine

    no more fightings. appy new year Ubunga nabubwela panshi

  63. I am not a son, let alone ur son, how painful that would be…:)

    I am sure you did understand me, If you did not understand me,pls ignore my comments
    on it. What constitutes a comment to you, is quiete frankly shocking. Nambala 1? , for you that is a meaningful comment, blame LT as they are banning that.

    self esteem is low on you Man seek NHS…

  64. Infected. Just how many times am I going to correct your english?

    Seriously, I am ready to give you help.

    You obviously don`t see anything wrong in the crap you are posting do you?

  65. nimatuvi ayo mealie meal you are reducing by 0.01% but passports you are increasing by more than 60%.fakanikoni nzelu ba manbala!!!!!!! 3:-o3:-o:(|):(|):(|)8-x8-x[-x[-x[-x

  66. Ba LT,

    Why allow porno attched to a noble Passport conference call debate on your the sight?I click the listen to link only to get porno pictures.That is not honorable to the blog many arestarting to call their meeting place on issues.Please detatch the the debate from porno or knock it all.

  67. Ba LT,

    Why allow porno attached to a noble Passport conference call debate on your site? I click the listen to link only to get porno pictures pop ups.That is not honorable to the blog many are starting to call their meeting place on issues.Please detatch the the debate from porno or knock it all together.

  68. lmao Senior Citizen! I just saw that, there are links which re direct you to filthy sites. Why hasnt the conference call been summarised by the person who organised it, somewhere on this site?

  69. Go to : zshare dot net/audio/5364952916ea58d9

    I downloaded the call yesterday without having to be confronted by any nonsense.

  70. No. 124, The call was some 53mins long. The great men who were in conference resolved to post a draft petition on this site for review before a final one is posted against which people can signal their support before onward delivery to the Government. The petition will call, among other things, for the extension of the deadline. I wish I had been able to join them, the attendance was much lower than I expected. I congratulate all those who participated and salute the organiser. Very very good job Gents.

  71. Guys,

    Ili ilyashi lyama passport tufwile ukwikatana nga kacena(scent)ne nsokoshi shabankungulume.

    :-j:-j:-j:-j

  72. Dear Lusaka Times,

    Passport Petition Conference call miniutes

    Kindly go ahead and remove the minutes from the website you have posted it.The issue to do with Passports is a family issue and the website you are broadcasting our minutes from does not represent family values our and our values.We kindly ask you to remove these minutes posted immediately.Thank you.

  73. it is a basic need and every one needs to get it whenever they need. Reduce em prices if you indeed a caring gov´t for the people

  74. #1 It will happen as long as there is no corruption at FRA in distribution to millers. I mean all millers must have the same access to the maize.

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