National Milling Company has attributed the short-term shortage of mealie meal in Livingstone to local and Zimbabwean traders that are buying the commodity in bulk and transporting it into Zimbabwe for sell at inflated prices.
National Milling Corporation Managing Director Peter Cotton today explained that fifty percent of the people buying mealie meal were retail traders who are purchasing 25 Kilogram bags of maize in bulk without regard for other consumers, adding that this has necessitated the government and the corporation to intervene and put measures in place to restrict sales in all depots.
“We have noticed that local and Zimbabwean traders are buying our mealie meal in bulk and taking it across the border to their country, so we have resolved with government to restrict the sale of mealie meal in all our depots,” he said.
Speaking during a press briefing in Livingstone today, Mr. Cottan said National Milling in collaboration with all District Commissioners, would restrict the sale of mealie meal in all depots to two bags per day per individual customer and 10 bags per day for retail traders respectively.
And the Corporation has commended the Food Reserve Agency (FRA) for the efficient delivery of subsidized maize to millers around the country.
He also revealed that there was overwhelming demand for mealie meal despite the Corporation producing the commodity at full capacity of 100 tonnes per day in Livingstone which had never operated at full capacity in the past.
“There is terrific demand for our product and we are operating at full capacity of producing 100 tonnes per day, seven days a week and this is a new record for Livingstone,” he said.
Mr. Cotton cautioned retail traders not to deliberately cause an artificial shortage of the staple food as this would inflate prices and lead to the exploitation of consumers.
Mr. Cotton who is touring the country to assess the availability of mealie meal in National Milling depots, said he was happy to see that the maize in many fields in the country, especially in Southern Province was maturing well and looking healthy.
He however, advised small-scale farmers to adopt modern farming techniques such as those used by commercial farmers, to improve on their crop yields.
“Small-scale farmers should adopt some of the techniques used by commercial farmers like using hybrid variety of seed, early planting and splitting the top dressing to mitigate the effects of leaching in case of floods as this is how commercial farmers improve their crop yields,” he said.
Meanwhile, National Milling MD commended the Food Reserve Agency (FRA) for their efficient delivery of subsidized maize to millers around the country.
He said the FRA was currently supplying the Corporation with 15, 600 metric tonnes of subsidized maize per month and hoped that the trend would continue as any shortage of maize grain would result in the shortage of mealie meal.
ENDS/AMM/PK/ZANIS
Advise RB
Blame it on RB! Now let me read the story…
AK-47 i was the one bani dilita
How?
if they are buying in bulk, produce in bulk also.. that even means more profit for your pockets
That is market forces for you…
LT. sorry. You have now deleted 3 comments. Let me now comment on the article.
Well These Zimbabweans should chuck Mugabe out though I feel sorry for them. Anywhere they helped us when we had a shortage of butter and some other stuff.
Does that mean NMC cant produce more enough.
What suprises me is that, we grow our own maize but mealie-meal is not easily accessible and affordable.
Its the duty of Govt to put up regulations to ensure mealie-meal is available and reasonably priced.
😮
Which part of maize shortage is difficult to understand? We have a shortage of the stuff so producing more is not an option. We have to ration the little we have. So Sorry our Zimbabwean brothers and sisters, try Botswana. Thanks.
why is NMC complaining. They shud just produce more. If the Zim guys are paying cash money why worry? It only means more money in the bank.
No need of finger pointing! find the way forward!!!
The bible says let us help one another our friends in Zim needs our help. NMC just produce more and get more forex.
Nice weekend Baby C,Matworld,Nine chale,man kunde,Chewe,Zoe,Ba Moze,Jamaco,Sony Eric and everyone.take care and if you drink ,drink responsibly…..chao
It is not right to point a finger everytime some thing happens.
Let us change this bad mind set os saying nichite achita chite :-w
Imwe be nice & don’t just blame others for your
failure.
Nifi mahule ifyapa Zimbabwe file niyenga sana so file fwaya ubwali everyday.
The issue is that they can not feed the Zed people.
So they try to blame somebody.
What a bunch of loosers.
:-?Mwe ma Zedians do not be tempted by smuggling our dear mealie-meal to Zim because of the enticement of becoming millionaires or trillionaires in Zim Dollars. Remember that Zim is about to introduce a Z$100 trillion note, currently worth about US$30:-?
rashid :-h nice weekend too!
:-h rashidi I will drink responsibly my brother
Peter Cottan, tell us something else mate. There are no bush paths to Zimbabwe from Livingstone. You have just failed.
This complaint is ridiculous.
NMC Please do not act like Cry Babys :(( Just come up with a Solution!!You are busy Selling the Mealie meal to the Zim while complaining to us!! In other words you are making YOUR MONEY!!! What difference does it make to YOU (NCM) by selling the Mealie Meal to Locals!!
If you really care so much about the wealfare of the Zambian Citizens then STOP Complaining and come up with a good Solution for this Problem!! That is if you REALLY see it as a Problem!!
I Just have to read the Healine and know that the rest is Crap!! You (NMC) FAKE SELL OUTS!!! LT pls Bring Story’s that REFLECT a True Hearted Company!! IF ANYONE BUYS THIS STORY- THEN YOUR RELATIVES WORK FOR NMC
MY PEOPLE SUFFER DUE TO LACK OF WISDOM!!!!!:-?
Nice Weekend to you Rashid Jones!!!!!
Cheers!!
Peter Cottan, Do not take us back to UNIP days. Zambia runs a liberalised market economy and your dull idea to ration the supply of mealie meal is not in line with Govt policy. Stop it. Yours is to produce and sell. Everything else let market forces dictate ok.
Chewe
Where are you man?I really miss you I promise this time I will be behind you.Please come back mwana. [-o<[-o<[-o<[-o<[-o<
(LT REPORT)Luanshya hit by a critical shortage of mealie meal
January 13, 2009
Luanshya town has been hit by a critical shortage of mealie meal despite having a milling company in the area, namely, Antelope.
A check by ZANIS today in the central business area revealed that most of the outlets including shoprite, National milling outlet and other shops did not have the commodity.
Only one shop in the town had inadequate stocks of Olympic mealie meal which was going at K64,000, while Chimsoro brand was also pegged at K64,000 at Buseko Market at Nichorise shop.
A resident of Mikomfwa, Brian Chansa complained that the commodity had been scarce for almost a week …
The origins of the current food crisis can be traced to the recycled policies of the Nixon White House. Henry Kissinger stated the premise succinctly in 1970: “Control oil and you control nations; control food and you control the people.”
Monga UNIP days mwe, problem na unga imagine. :((
Don’t worry Matworld he is probably at the pub
The shortage of mealie meal has nothing to do with Zim and the locals. How about the shortage in Luanshya, who is to blame?
This is RB’s and his minions’ creation.
Is national milling listed on LUSE imagine these American owners just packing up their bags like they have done with Zambian airways?
Thanks Rashid, have a nice weekend too. I have already started drinking, the responsibility will follow…:d
IWE NINE CHALE I SENT YOU A MAIL ABOUT THAT CONSULAR CLINC THINK!! YOU DID NOT ATTACH THE DOCS SHOWING THE OPENING TIMES!! PLS SEND IT BEFORE YOU START DRINKING!!!
TODAY I AM ON TYSKIE AND ZYWIEC (POLISH BEERS)!!! THE RESULT IS THE SAME THOUGH 8-}
Hey People!! Ine ni Weekend am Out!!
SOCIAL LIFE IS CALLING!! NINA CHALE AND MATWORLD SEE YA
NINA CHALE AM IN DUISBURG TOMORROW UNTIL SUNDAY (VISITING BA MADAM’S FRIEND)
SO LATA EVERYONE
:-h:-h:-h:-h:-h
WISHING U ALL A JOLLY WEEKEND!!!!
this whole article makes sense to me. :):):)