National Milling hailed for reduced mealie meal prices

Government has commended National Milling Corporation (NMC) for reducing mealie meal prices in all their outlets across the country.

Agriculture and Cooperatives Deputy Minister Allan Mbewe says government expects mealie meal prices to even go much lower than what was currently obtaining on the ground.

Mr. Mbewe says this is possible especially that the country has enough maize stocks after recording a bumper harvest this year.

Mr. Mbewe said it was heartening to note that Mealie Meal prices have started going down when government has not yet finished offloading all the maize stocks being bought from farmers and that which was already in stock from the previous harvest season.

He has since appealed to other millers in the country to emulate National Milling Corporation warning that governments will not take kindly any miller who will fail to comply with its call for the reduction of mealie meal prices.

“Government stands ready to kick out any miller out of business who does not want to adhere to governments call to reduce the prices of mealie meal,” Mr. Mbewe warned.

And Millers Association of Zambia (MAZ) Executive Officer Harrison Banda says the reduction in mealie meal prices depends on the millers cost structure.

Mr. Banda observed that the milling industry is highly competitive adding that millers decide on their own whether to reduce the prices or not and the amount they would want to reduce if they decide to do so.

Yesterday National Milling Corporation Managing Director Peter Cottan announced a reduction of mealie prices in all the company’s outlets across the country.

Mr. Cottan announced that a 25 Kg of Roller Meal which was selling at K33 000 will now be selling at K27, 000 while a 25 Kg of breakfast meal will now be selling at K55, 000 from K57, 000.

ZANIS