GOVERNMENT and millers have agreed to reduce the price of mealie-meal by an average of K2,000 per 25 kilogramme bag of both breakfast and roller meal.
Minister of Agriculture and Livestock Emmanuel Chenda confirmed the development in a statement after a consultative meeting with millers in Lusaka yesterday.
Mr Chenda said the move taken by government is aimed at stabilising prices of mealie-meal.
“Following the recent increase in mealie-meal prices, which have been precipitated by the increased demand for Zambian maize by neighbouring countries, government decided to engage the milling industry and come up with a solution,” he said.
And Mr Chenda has announced the lifting of the ban on the export of maize and wheat bran, which is with immediate effect.
The minister said this is to ensure that millers continue to offer stable mealie-meal prices.
Mr Chenda said the milling industry will be allowed to export limited quantities of surplus bran to various countries in the region.
“The higher regional maize bran prices will offset the recent increase in mealie-meal prices,” he said.
The minister said government will also ensure that the domestic sale of maize and wheat bran continues to satisfy the local demand.
Mr Chenda said government is committed to ensuring that commodity prices remain stable despite the general increase in global and regional maize prices.
He also said the country has sufficient stocks of maize to ensure national food security.
“Government, through the Food Reserve Agency, is continuing with the maize purchase programme,” Mr Chenda said.
[Zambia Daily Mail]
K2,000. is too little, why can’t you just bring it where it was before? That means you have not done anything. Don’t play with the people’s minds, there is no way you can increase by K10,000. and reduce by K20,000.
Stop interfering with the forces of supply and demand. If you want to keep food prices low the best thing govt can do is to remove VAT on staple foods. That is what civilised governments do to keep food prices low. And this is the main reason food is cheap in the developed countries as well as in Asia.
#1 , read ur sentence b4 hitting the button,..increase by k10,000 and reduce by k20,000 that would be the ideal way but its increase by k10,000 and reduce by k2000.#2 the govt should do away VAT on food,but they have to increase VAT on some non foof products inorder to comeup with the shortful on cuts from food VAT.but do those guys managing 3 meals a day think of this alternative,i doubt it alot.