The Consumer Unit and Trust Society (CUTS) has condemned the recent mealie meal shortages and price hikes in some parts of the Copperbelt province.
CUTS international board Chairperson Love Mtesa says the recent shortages and subsequent price increase will have a negative impact on many consumers who normally depend on mealie meal as their staple food.
Ambassador Mtesa told ZANIS in an interview in Lusaka yesterday that, maize is essential because it is a staple food for most Zambians.
He said abrupt changes in prices of mealie meal negatively affects the wellbeing of people in the country.
He explained that the reported shortages and price hikes of the commodity is unjustified as the country has enough maize stocks as evidened from the consecutive bumper harvest recorded in the past few years.
Ambassador Mtesa charged that the current situation is against government’s policies of fighting hunger and should be stopped at all costs.
Some parts of the Copperbelt have been hit by mealie meal shortages forcing some traders to hike the price to as much as K70, 000 per 25 Kilograms of breakfast meal.
Meanwhile, some millers on the Copperbelt have attributed the shortage to inadequate maize supply to depots by the Food Reserve Agency (FRA).
The millers have alleged that the Agency has concentrated much on exporting the commodity at the expense of the local depots.
But when contacted for a comment FRA spokesperson Mwamba Siame refuted the allegations saying it is not the duty of the agency to supply maize to depots for millers.
Ms. Siame explained that FRA is specifically meant for national reserves therefore should not be held responsible for the shortage of maize in depots.
She added that FRA has not yet started exporting the maize as alleged.
ZANIS
Dont Kubeba. by elections are GONE and PF want to recoup what they spent.
ha ha ha ha
Zambians when are you going to realize that sata is not President for the whole Zambia but just Muchinga and his friends. Sata has never owned any farm in his life otherwise with his smoking habbit he would have scorched the Barn or the fields. Mr Sata knows what his doing exactly the only problem is that what he wants to do with Zambia. Zambia has land ,water but yet we can’t feed ourselves and when poor farmers manage to produce then the government starts stammering concerning payment.
with the likes of GBM am not surprised that they would want to create fake shortages just to hike prices.
Not possible,we have enough maize,im a farmer as well and havent yet been paid by FRA!
New methods of operation may bring dalays,but eventually polishes the whole chain,FRA UNDERGOING intense overhaul, watch this spae.
Which bumper harvests is this man referring to?
GBM is behind this to raise his money sponsored to pf campaigns.
Chitemene PF! Sata, Scott and Chikwanda have never served in a government that was agriculturally successful! Wait for starvation next year! Never trust the slash and burn clan!
Iwe chi concerned citizen, why do you always want to condemn Sata even for things which are straight forward. So you think chi hichilema having ing’ombe means he can be a good President? My foot. You think you are so educated and Sata is just a Grade 7. What is your Profile like on the Zambian scene, let alone in Africa apart from supporting your fellow tonga in the name of that BITTER FOR NOTHING MAN who stole millions of Kwacha from the sale of Luanshya mines? go to hell matole yobe waumfwa?