Mealie meal prices in several parts of the country have hit an all-time high and are now selling at an historic high of more than K107 per 25Kg.
A market survey revealed that some super markets in Lusaka, Chipata, Livingstone and Solwezi are now selling a 25Kg of breakfast mealie meal between K105 and K107.
Roller meal in most outlets surveyed in Lusaka is now selling between K75 and K85.
This is the highest that mealie meal, Zambia’s staple food has fetched in the country’s history.
In March 2011, a 25Kg bag of breakfast mealie meal was selling at K37, a few months before the PF wrestled power from the MMD.
And the Famine Early Warning Systems Network, a US funded project has warned that food insecurity situation is likely to deteriorate in a few areas in the southeast and southwest as poor households fail to meet non-food essentials without resorting to irreversible coping strategies.
In its latest food situation report, FEWSNET said given the expected high level of maize prices in the coming months, household purchasing power will continue to reduce from now until the start of the main harvest.
Approximately 975,738 people have been identified as requiring food assistance between August 2016 and March 2017.
The government will provide assistance to households using FRA maize stocks and the Disaster Management and Mitigation Unit (DMMU) will coordinate this relief effort. The relief distribution has not yet started.
“Given the record maize purchasing prices, both maize grain and maize meal prices are expected to trend at very high levels during the October to March period. Using both technical and fundamental analysis, maize retail prices are likely to trend steadily upwards between October and November and then more steeply up to the peak lean period (January-February),” the report stated.
It said, “During the months of October-February, prices are likely to remain above previous season levels and at least 60 percent above average, decreasing between the months of March-May with the arrival of the green harvest in March and the main harvest in April/May.”
FEWSNET said during the remainder of the 2016/17 marketing season, private traders will continue dominating the market given the failure by the Food Reserve Agency to secure much maize.
“Consequently, the large traders will hold most of the stocks and therefore drive the market for the remaining duration of the outlook. It is unlikely that the government will subsidize millers with maize during the outlook period given their low stock position. Millers will need to source most maize directly from traders, therefore maize market interventions (including FRA’s supply of subsidized maize to millers) will remain lower than usual.”
Good for you…. i hope it breaches the K170 mark soon
No worries. Zambians are rich. Just have a look on Facebook.
Good.Let it go beyond K200
Very sad development. This is the exact price of having too much illiterate voters in a country. Illiteracy is a very dangerous disease worse than Leprosy of the brain. Illiterate people must be barred from decision making through the ballot
The price tag is even written ‘LOWEST PRICE’ kaya in other shops.
News item 5 days late.
Great to violent & visionless PF of Lungu.
Surely it is a good riddance to the sheepish who think that PF bandits meant or means well, alas it is Dununa backwardness unfortunately.
Well done visionless Lungu’s PF, teach them a good lesson, even K300 for a 25Kg mealie meal bag is a sweet idea. Meanwhile load shedding & poor economy is at the helm of incompetent Lungu’s PF.
Uko, Lungu is even changing the constitution to suit his selfish agenda with the none caring PF criminals. Kambwili was the top brass corrupt buffoon who stole more than blind Lungu.
HH never bring the rotten tomatoes of PF like corrupt Kambwili, corruption is contagious.
Enjoy the expensive life in a already poor country, under PF it will always be poverty & hunger.Bwanji uko dununa reverse? Its a worry!
The…
…Skeleton Key
~206~
Sanity will only come when Mr Lungu gives power of the people to the speaker, the con~court to hear UPND’s Presidential election petition without those incompetent judges & shameful ECZ apologizes for its inauthentic results of wrongs. Then rule of law to truly take place, all institutions independent without interference from PF’s corrupt executives, guaranteed is a mature democracy. Not this mediocrity!
Miss you Dr Mwanawasa.
Lazy Lungu is constructing the House of Prayer…so when you are hungry just go in there and pray to White Jesus.
Amen
When EL comes back from Morocco where he has gone to look for cheaper maize, A 25kg bag of maize meal will go back to k37.00, He did it with fuel when he went to Saudi Arabia. Its just the beginning while EL’s bank account gets fat Zambians will have legs like ka Titi, The bird with vey small legs, Haha.
@1;9 Muntu Wandi You have made my day, & I’m now in fits of laughter!!
Ati “While E.L’s account gets fat, Zambians will have legs like Ka titi”
Though funny, true.
Good for you…. i hope it breaches the K170 mark soon. Lungu is doing very GOOD
I meant to say the SOLAR MILLS from China are doing very good. We now have cheap Mealie meal
What a of waste $200m!!
Zambians are going to pay dearly for allowing an inept Lungu and his PF clowns to steal the elections. They are going to pay with their lives. I wish things can get much worse than they are now. Let all essential commodities rise that is the way to go in a banana republic
No worries. Zambians are rich. Just have a look on Facebook.
Did I say muzanya manzi while you dance Dununa Reverse! What I like about the current price trend is that bakachema can laugh all the way to the bank to console themselves against insults Lungu and Co. have been throwing at them. Life is fair.
Let it reach even K1000, I care less. I cared for the people before elections by urging them to vote for progressive minds, but they opted to vote based on songs and party-goers who are everyday hosting parties in state house. Of course, I may sympathize with the others that saw this coming, but I have and will continue to encourage them to work hard in whatever area that they are involved in to bring food onto their tables.
@ Lezgee. Said, but they opted to vote based on songs and party-goers who are everyday hosting parties in state house. Who are those we voted for? PF right? then why do you always complain that PF stolen votes and yet you are the same pipo saying we opted to vote for PF?
dununa reverse
5 years of starving under pamafi party.Will be just drinking Jameson in the state house…
Zambian men are so useless. For them if he hasn’t eaten ubwali then he hasn’t eaten anything. Ubwali is not everything. If you want ubwali every time grow maize and gaya it yourself because it’s not only cheap for you but also healthy. Live expensive ubunga for people who can’t farm. If you want to be eating food for the rich you will be complaining.
leave…
The politicans like Ubwali and road building because of corruption…
My son who hates Nshima , will be so happy when he hears this news.. People you will not die, if you dont eat Nshima, please try RICE and PASTA. God has given us so many other things to eat. Please calm down…. and reduce on the HATING..
@kachana,
What is the current cost of Rice or Pasta ker kg? Is it more affordable than mealie meal?
I would urge those who voted for PF to eat cake instead of complaining about ubunga from bakachema. Just have some cake, like you do at State House parties.
Hehehe and those alternatives to Nshima are cheaper ??????? A 2kg packet of rice will set you back K20 and northwards depending on the type….so how feasible is it compared to Maize meal ???
Where is the problem kanshi? Take solar milling plants near maize storage facilities grind maize and take them to the market. Why should we transport maize to chingola when milling plants can be installed where maize is grown? Kambwili did not sleep when it came to fighting meal meal smuggling. We shall miss Sata and kambwili
In most sensible societies, production plants are always near consumers/markets and not producers. If you put milling plants in maize farming areas, there is very little market for secondary products such as number 3 meal and maize bran. These are not profitable to transport over long distances. Therefore your final product, mealie meal, has to give you all the profits that you lose from by-products.
Not surprised here…the only thing that will not increase is your salary for those who are in employment because even PAYE is going up come January 1!
Talking about load shedding, Zesco and ERB owe Zambians an explanation why powercuts have continued even after 12 November when Maamba Coal Power was supposed to be connected to the national grid.
Too much focus/dependency on millie meal in Zambia, and yet we have a lot of other crops that can equally used as a substitute for maize: cassava, millet, wheat, sorghum and even rice.
It’s high time FRA started expanding their stock and millers started diversifying their production base.
So have you compared the prices of these you have listed and concluded that they are cheaper than maize. Why comment with ignorance
Nine,
It is well known fact that Millie is one of the cheapest and most accessible items in Zambia. How much is a 25 Kg of Rice? Try & u will be shocked. The current price of Millie is a clear barometer of how bad our economy is right now. Stop dreaming & face facts.
I can see insala mu Zambia.. Shame to Zambia for choosing tribe and a song instead of brains that would improve their welfare.. I can wait to see the price hit K300 per 25kg bag…
Let them eat their tribe.
Dununa regret
What do you expect with Minister of Kambwili’s mentality who only think of their huge bellies and seek power to enrich themselves yet there are still dull Zambians praising and supporting their bull. Continue I wish I can get all my family members from that country.
…and u think hh was going to sell mealiemeal at k30…? Shallow thinking. The price of mealiemeal and that of other commodities have been rising since independence and will continue rising..! Go back to the land and make Zambia green…and stop complaining.
Tell them
MWANY@!!
Ati Dununa.
MWANY@!!!
Munene give me whAt I need I have land I nee irrigation syesytem don’t just say go back to th land surpot us
WHO DO WE HAVE TO THANK FOR THIS MESS : GIVEN LUBINDA ! HE CONTINUED LYING ABOUT THE MAIZE STOCKS IN ZAMBIA TO JUSTIFY WHY THE GOVERNMENT WAS EXPORTING MAIZE TO NEIGHBOURING COUNTRIES!! HE KEPT ON SAYING IT IS A BUMPER SEASON AND ZAMBIA HAD LOTS OF EXCESS MAIZE.
WE WARNED YOU, YOU DID NOT LISTEN !!! NOW HIS LIES ARE CATCHING UP WITH HIM ! DISGRACEFUL
I do not understand Zambians, always complaining, how much do you spend on beers, a bottle of wine goes up to more than K650. some of you when you enter the bar you even showoff , crate or one round to all who are in the bar. Haven’t head any one complaining about high price of beer. It is common sense when fuel, electricity prices goes up every thing goes up even transport has been increased, so unga should still be at K37. move on if that is the case then Zambia will never develop. As one said only the lazy ones complain work hard and you will stop complaining. Most of the rich people do not buy unga they have got farms they eat roller not break fast mm.
Let me get this straight. So, our Country is NOT even able to put together and run a system to warn in advance that a femine is coming, get ready? Famine Early Warning Systems Network, FEWSNET- is funded by US?
That’s why Zambia is the third hungriest country in the world! It is a fact that can only be disputed by Eurobond plunderers.
Is increasing the price of mealie meal part of development? if so it is better we remain undeveloped so that everyone can manage to buy our staple food, when things goes wrong we should all accept, we are being lead blindly, and people will safer more then expected, I wonder how people will survive the next 5 years. whoooooooooooooooo, I don’t know what we did rich people are not affected. ECL look at this seriously people will die.
This is not news. My small farm produces an average of 30 bags of maize per year and l only need 12 bags to see me through out the year. I can’t remember the last time l bought mealie meal, all l need is just to look for nearest hammer meal. It’s sad how unproductive we have become such that we can’t even grow vegies in our backyards but keep on complaining.
Meanwhile Lazy Lungu is in Morrocco…clocking air miles!!
Dununa reverse for sure.
Good for you Super, I will also do the same I look for a small farm and start moving on, thanks Super
You will have to pay bribes to the corrupt PF cardres to get the land. Then you will have to pay the corrupt family forrest at Lands Dept to get it regisered. Then you will have to…..
So when will you plant? 2021? 2026?
Kambwili will have siezed the land and built more “villas” on it long before then. If you are a youth now, you will be too old and weak to farm before you get your land.
PF cadres ,,whre are u ? You must be ashamed of yrselves. Ignorance is a curse. Hope u feel most pinch of your useless/hopeless Lungu’s governance.
To all UPND supporters/all those who voted for party- thank u for being wise and well informed. Dont lose hope , your will shal be rewarded one day.
Thy comfort ourselves for the worst calamities in the history of Zambia. The clueless guy has abandoned Sata’s vision.
There are so many illiterates in CB and Lusaka who are supporting PF blindly. Companies, shops etc are being closed on weekly basis in Lusaka and yet they don’t see. To them its dununa reverse. Zambians wake up. The police are being used to silence the opposition and their supporters but buy the same mealie meal from the same shops. The Police are are conducting fake road blocks to milk from innocent people
Music , music pleas, dununa reverseeeeeeeee,
Me and mine can afford the price adjustment. Oh, and I just got a job at State House. Tiyeni Niyo. Dunana Reverse….
@BRABUS , i thank you for your educative comment. Well said. But at the same time you are missing my point.. Which is find something else to eat, as opposed to the chronic MEALIE MEAL DEPENDENCE. And yes , there are actual people out there who hate NSHIMA. As strong as the word is. But its true..But i love you how your brains work..
Talking about diet diversification to Zambians is like Greek…our friends in West Africa have a variety of nitrious carbs like Cassava, Yam, Plantain etc and you dont need expensive inputs to grow them.
*…nutritious carbs….
@Ked, only lazy people like you will suffer. My friend, the only constant thing in life is change. If you can’t adjust to reality that PF is in power until 2021, then surely you will be depressed for the next 5 years. Move on, work hard and have a life.
And the entire PF on this forum is Zeeeeeee now….No comment.
Ati they are working, what working…….election bribes are gonna, rality is kicking in
This is just the beginning, wait for IMF, they are coming and you will feel the heat…….no suprise if the price hits the K200 level.
Please, call the Dununa Reverse party……
A vast country with abundant water and a small population. Yet, overcrowded urban areas with poverty at the doors of so many. With a proper agricultural policy, food would be basic, not a luxury. With so much land/waterways and a favourable climate, the country should be able to produce not only enough of what it needs, but a variety of foods at a cheaper cost. Its possible to grow rice (in the river plains) abundantly and hence lower the cost. West and even some East African countries complain of a lot of things but food is normally basic and they grow and eat a variety. You can tell the difference even from their bigger statures compared to Zambians. In Europe, some small countries with very short food growing slots still manage huge yields. It can be done with the right people,…
…. policies and a population that needs a right good kick on their backsides.
Chilile chilile!!!!!!!!!!! ATI DUNUNA DUNUNA IWE AYEEE DUNUNA IWE DUNUNA REVERSE. EVEN “JK” AND “WILE” SHOULD BE ASHAMED FOR THERE NEGATIVE CONTRIBUTION.
Yes, lets hope there human enough to be ashamed, Ba kandile aba nisebana wikute. No principles, chikulu pamala napa kosa.
How much do we spend for beer at the KEG and LION every weekend? The Pizzas that we buy for our wives and girlfriends,how much money do we spend for all these? Hungry Lion that we buy everyday for our lunch…Compare and contrast the same with the amount of money we spend on the so called expensive mealie-meal…Lets not exaggerate our poverty.The poor people themselves do not even the mealie-meal from these supermarkets they instead buy maize and then mill it at their nearest Hammer mill within their Komboni…I beg to move.
Wait a minute. This is just a few months after Zambians were dancing to Dununna Reverse and they are already complaining that things are bad. Things are bound to get worse and mark my word and watch this space: The Worst is yet to come. Zambians must brace themselves for increased electricity tariffs, prolonged loadshedding, delayed or even missed payment of monthly salaries for Civil Servants, high prices of all commodities, lack of medicines in clinics and hospitals, non payment of outstanding bills to service providers owed by Government. Well the list of problems is endless. I am sure alot of my colleagues can add on to the list.
HOPE THE PF SUPPORTERS ARE ABLE TO SING DUNUNA REVERSE WHEN THEY ARE BUYING MEALIE MEAL. THE REST OF US ARE SINGING MUMALA MULELILA MBULUMBULU LOL
It is not to my suprise that some pipo still live in denial and continue being loyal to dead structures even at the point of death,even when the deapth of waters reach there necks.how can one came at this platform to tell us of his farm which produces 15 bags of maize sure,how can one bring the issue of clubs and how much the vodca cost, does it mean every zambian is a drunkard.before you were born your forefathers depended on nshima,now because of your unfocused surport and your ulcer desease which restrict you from nshima you think evry zambian is the same.come on guys we are talking about our own local grown staple food,not imported.
You and i can afford it even when it goes up to K300 but think for our poor zambian brothers and sisters.
Am also pf but i dont surport blindley…