President Michael Sata has instructed the Minister of Agriculture and Livestock, Emmanuel Chenda to meet all stakeholders in the wheat industry to prevent the hike in bread price.
President Sata says plans to hike the price of bread by K500 are unjustified.
“The plans to increase the price of bread will largely hurt the poor. The poor consumer bears the blunt of such hikes which are not justified.” The President says.
President Sata says his government will do everything possible to curb exploitation and maintain the price of bread, even if it means authorizing the importation of wheat into the country.
“We, therefore urge all stakeholders in the wheat value chain to exhaust consultations amongst themselves before taking positions that could undermine consumer interest and that of the industry itself in the long-run.” The president advises.
Mr Sata says government will not be blackmailed by any stakeholder in the food chain of essential commodities.
Government is currently in dialogue with the Zambia National Farmers Union (ZNFU) and the Bakers Association of Zambia regarding measures meant to eliminate unnecessary cost elements so that the wheat industry becomes more competitive.
The President expects the bakers association and wheat farmers to reach a reasonable consensus that does not only serve their interests, but more importantly, the consumer.
This is contained in a statement released to ZNBC News by the President’s Special Assistant for Press and Public Relations George Chellah.
ZNBC
Its market forces, Ba Sata
which market forces? you think our presido is not aware of that?
You!!! It is the “market forces” that have brought problems in the USA economy. In response, have you not seen Obama’s “Invisible Hand”? Wake up and watch profiteers in their eyes and tell me if you see any decency in them.
iwe chikala what market forces???? boma ni boma. thats why there are subsides. but the presidents point is, DONT EXPLOIT THE POOR.
HH and his ZWD would rather have the likes of RB and DORA plundering the contries resource than SATA cleaning up the country. The guy doesnt care seeing a poor person die for as long as he still has his billions. We should be watchful of such evils and guard ourselves against them. Sata wants every Zambian to benefit from the countries wealthy. But we have these vices which want to frustrate this cause which is meant to benefit a poor person.
ba number one, you cant read that the man understands, thats why he is saying stake holders in the suppy chain. Ukubilima kwati miisu!
How many people eat bread mu Zambia ? Ubunga ekantu bakateka.
Market forces can surely not warrant a hike of over 90%. This is conspirancy to say the least.
Just import the wheat to shame these exploiters. Am sure its much cheaper elsewhere than in Zambia. Viva Donchi Kubeba
ba number one ukubilima kwati miisu. I was almost saying that Sata is sending us back to a command economy but after reading the story I see the points. Did the price of bread go down by any proportion when Sata reduced fuel? It appears pipo are so used to RB regime were consumer prices always goes up despite production factors going down. I have notice a new breed of bloggers who re outright criticising and doom prophets without analysing issues. They have replaced disappearing Bootlicker, Engineer Aussie etc
k500 is not 90%. Bread costs k5000 or a dollar on average so that comes to 10% increase.
and you, you still think a 10% increase is normal? which school did you go to? did you study zoology or oceanology? even without considering the reduction in fuel price, 10% increase is just too much, let alone an innitiated one!
All the same, he can leave that to his minister of Agriculrure.
The beauty about our President, HE MCS, is that he has the interest of Zambians at heart and not only his tammy, children and relatives like we have experienced in the past 2years, 10 months and 10 days. What a shame, instead of serving the people, you start abusing their resources and coniving with infestors using children, friends and relatives.
Thats my presido..I jes Love you……
I bought Bread @ K7,000 . @ Engen Kitwe. does it mean i was exploited?
mmmmmm! Those are the signs of a dictator. you can not be commenting on everything in the country. That is why you chose a team that should do their job.
Remember dictators usually want to have say on everything coz they want to show to people that they are working.
yaba….
No. 11 actually he’s the president… he can comment on anything and wise not to respond to anything
Government should just re-birth SUPLOAF, that way these bakers just wake up and hike bread anyhow
man of the people..very soon it will be 1 egg for breakfast for everyone!
so Maxwell you eat eggs for breakfast?
The President should be careful not to fall in the trap of price controls that killed us in the KK days. It is always better to try and improve local production because it creates new goods/more food as well as jobs. Importing for consumption using precious forex generated elsewhere (or even borrowed) does not promote development.
You people who say Sata comments on everything, remember that you didnt vote for his minister you voted for him to act on your behalf, he has since employed his ministers to help him in doing the job that Zambians have employed him to do. So whatever a minister says or does, he or she does it in the name of the President, so yes Sata has every right to comment on every issue in the country since you employed him to look into your interest! Why do you always want to condemn people? The man wants the price of bread to go down, you complain, if he does nothing you still complain, then you f00ls what exactly do you want? Even when he gives you all $1 millions each you will still complain. Give credit where its due people, dont be haters for no reason.
Hey leave king cobra do it his way it’s him to be voted outbif he does not get it right. I’m loving it !
Kaponyas cool down, mate it’s called democracy. I know it’s new but calling others fools or haters because they have different opions is no longer right in our country. Just points and clever contributions can do. I also love mr presido.
They should explain the reasons for the price adjustment.
Zambia is already a market economy so it will not be possible to control prices even if the president wanted.
Let the bakers import wheat, not the govt.
Importing wheat will actually be too expensive the dollar -Kwacha exchange rate is out of control right now. 1USD is at ZMK5035.
No 8 you are right. Masamu yatipita tavionera mu 5 pin. Anyway ka5 zali is not a big issue after all. I was just overwhelmed with big reactions from the presido. Surely these are not presidential issues as they are too trivial to blow truppets about. Let Ministers do their work!
Bread is foreign to Zambia, why can’t the president promote local foods like ifyumbu, which are more or less indignoius to Zamnain conditions, and easy to grow. Ifyumbu are even more nutrituis than these commercial foods called bread, which just drains forex Innovation !
so is he going to intervene, isn’t this a free market, unless he wants to subsidize but if they increase then the market force dictates?
The bread price is not the issue, its a just a symptom of the weak economic environment are in, so the president should address the ILLNESS not the SYMPTOM!
Pf and Mr Sata ,go on .let them complain ,these afflicted people. Whether you do what is right or not they will still complain. They are just sick in their minds .Even when you create a very enabling enviroment for them they will still complain. In most case without even analyzing what one he’s saying . These are fools that are using Bemba names and pass tribal remarks so as to make other people hate the bembas. Thereby,justifing their false tribal accusation of the President. Pf is the right direction and remain forcused. God bless you. Let these demoniacs- HH and upnd go to hell!
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Bread prices have gone up EVERYWHERE in the world.
oppose the water & electricity bills, they are beyond our means.. not all of us eat bread
Yes, this is Zambia! The president commenting on bread!
it just shows how the President is in touch with the reality of life even in the smallest needs like bread.
Next it will be the price of socks!
then the price of lubanga konde and chimpapila
then the cost of ichifunga
You guys, you mean bread price is just K5,000? I’m asking because I eat nshima at breakfast and madam handles all the households. The price I know very well is school fees, fuel, and Castle and Mosi. If you can’t afford K5,000 + K500 then I suspect you need counselling. Even boys who transport kachasu ‘blackouts’ in wheelbarrows charge more than K5,000 per trip. BUT ON A SERIOUS NOTE, ladies and gentlemen, let us not belittle the president’s intervention. I know a few families in kabwata who used not to have a meal every other day. K5,000 to them was like gold. And I imagine there are many such families all around the country, who do not afford bread. So the president has to act on bhelaf of such people. When your stomach is full, it’s easy to forget how the hungry person is feeling!
#18
I think the president is actually wise here and am kind of impressed to see the economic side of his argument. He is not calling for price control but merely bring the fact to the table that the price of bread is high because this industry is protected and so he is threatening to open up cheap imports into the country that would compete with local products and so lower the price of bread due to competition from the outside.
I think this is a valid and wise threat. Local firms should not hide behind job creation and exploit the citizens by not managing their costs. Just passing costs to consumers is immoral and I support the president here. Let them cut costs and keep the price of bread at the price it is , after all MMD created low inflation for all to benefit.
Well said Bootlicker
Market forces at play.You can not be importing wheat, that would be expensive. Mr president put in place measures so that more wheat is grown in our country. Not those kneel jerk measures you are talking about.
When the president was talking and implementing a minimum wage did he think the price of goods will remain the same?
Economics 101
Lets wait for the inflation figures and he his going to swallow a humble pie.
No 7. I am still around. I don’t comment because what is coming from the so called State House press conferences has become to childish to even comment on.
@ #35,MMD Chief Bootlicker says
I cant believe you are the same MMD Chief Booklicker I have know. Any way let me says I will forever respect your views.
I like your point. For sure, Farmers should learn to manage their costs and avoid passing costs to consumers. It is good to see the president getting involved so that they know that people are watching their immoral behavior. As for those who are saying importing wheat is expensive,NO, Zambian wheat is more expensive becoz it is protected. Ask me why some Zambian farmers find it difficulty to export each time export ban is lifted.
The time of price controls is coming; this is merely an indication of what is to come. With the price of copper dropping, crude oil price affected by the exchange rate and commodity prices going up globally, it is a challenging period for the PF government and companies that may have to bear the high costs of production. In 11 months, some companies will fold up, throwing thousands on the streets…how do you have a revised minimum wage without increasing prices? Zambians must be prepared for the hard call; but we will all be alive and well….
This president is hard working. he knows the suffrieng of individuals among the masses.
I am surprised the news people have nt reported that he has also opposed sex at my neighbours house, a Mr Chanda. The president phoned and said Mrs Chanda was too tired from selling tomato.
I cant imagine seeing Obama talking about bread. Are we that poor that bread is a topic for the president to talk about.
I have lived in the UK for 17 years and every time the price of milk or bread is increased by 2 pence (300 kwacha), there is always an uproar and often very heated exchanges are witnessed in the house of parliament. For our president to have raised a course for concern it is very noble, bearing in mind he was elected by the poor and needy.
MMD BOOTLICKER, What an observation and advice? How many consumer products is Sata going to protect from price hikes? I guess endless!!!!! Will he manage? I guess Bootlicker you have the answer. The price hikes are a simple bizness case. Let Sata open the flood gates of wheat imports and will see the wave of job retrenchments in that sector. The truth is PFseem to lack leadership capabilities for current market trends.
Next time this dictator will start a barkery in State house for cheap bread run by bembas hahahahahahahahahah
Certainly it takes a good politician and a wise leader to get involved in matters that affect the people. It is common knowledge that high prices of goods and services reduce the purchasing power and removes money from peoples’ pockets. However, I would like to suggest that the bread industry should diversify and look at the use of maize as raw material for bread making and related products. I made a proposal to the pervious government through our embassy in the country I stay to look into a possiblity of initiating a public private partnership to explore the idea further but nothing was done. In my My opinion the use of maize and other starchy commodies could lead to less inflationary pressure on wheat and help absorb the excess maize that regulary goes to waste. [email protected]
Maize has been used for a long time in the afluent society as raw material for bread and other products and I do not see y it can not be used Zambia. It is even more appropriate because maize is our stable food. I eat bread made from maize here and it is of high quality and better than that made from wheat to me. If only governement and the relevant private sector can come on board and initiate a feasibilty study to explore this idea further, a lot of benefits are likely to spill out which would include stable bread prices, reduced maize waste, reduced dependence on wheat etc, etc
#45 great contribution. We need to strengthen our research capacity to ensure that we have ingenuity to tackle such issues. The bakers should look to the example of Eagle lager where expensive imported barley is has been totally replaced by sorghum. The bread issue may not be solved by 100% replacement but by substitution of up to 20% of the wheat with either sorghum or possibly even our most underutilised and “sleeping giant” of a crop cassava.
WELL DONE HE. LET PIPO BE EATING CASSAVA, GROUNDNUTS, SWEET POTATOES AND SIWAYA FROM OUR ROOTING MAIZE.
IT HIGH TIME WE SHIFT FROM HAVING BREAD FOR MEALS AND SHIFT TO OTHER FOODS TOO.
Ask Mugabe about price control. Importing wheat is creating unemployment. Is this Sata now talking of importing things, I thought he was talking of promoting local industry?
This is what we wanted for a President, Please HH learn from his caprience
The presidentseems to be running the country alone! all he daz is instruct the ministers. Even where he has a point, it gets lost in translation. Are we back in the days of UNIP and Kaunda were the President sales bread. where is the minister responsible for these things…..
#20 -MICHAELME : It is not enough that a President is voted out if he does not get it right. Citizens have to ensure that government takes sound decisions at all times. For example, if the government starts a war with Malawi and 5,000 zambians die as a result, what good is it if that President is voted out after five years? Hitler started the second world war and more than 40m people died (20m in Russia alone). Was it any good to the dead that Hitler killed himself? In order to safeguard the country every decision of the government has to be scrutinised. In this particular case, what keeps the price of bread low is the cost of production and competition in the bread market. In a free market, the government can introduce regulation to prevent the formation of cartels if such exist.
When you are a farmer you understand that the cost of production is very high in Zambia than in other counries hence wheat from outside Zambia is cheaper. The consumer just looks at the Bread and wants it cheap whilst the farmer toils, pays high Diesel costs, high electricity costs for irrigation, labour, farm chemicals, labour, repair and maintenance of his equipment and not forgetting high government taxes yet you want him to sell the wheat for a song…nay country folks don’t blame the wheat farmer. You don’t expect them to labour in vain just to please the consumer. As the president says a review of the value chain is necessary. In that vain Govt should be prepared to reduce taxes because they are part of the highest cost of production.
His Excellency MCS, is doing what every patriotic leader of a countryshould do. All you chaps who are aganist his patriotism are sick. Zambians without bone. If he stays quite and leaves the people to be exploited, you are agian the same fools who will start insulting him….Please you *****s understand that this culture of self is coming to an end. If this was said in America, you would all be praising Barack Obama. Affordability of food is the most critical issue here. Everything is good so far. So keep quite and just see what Zambia is going to become..*****s