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Mealie meal price continues to rise

By editor
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The Mealie meal shortage that has hit some parts of country has also affected Lusaka with the commodity price being increased by between K5000 and K7000 per 25 kilograms bag.

A random survey conducted by ZANIS in Lusaka has revealed that a 25kg bag of National Milling Corporation breakfast is selling between K55, 000 and K62, 000 from K50,000 and K52, 000 respectively, where as Roller meal is being sold at K47, 000 and K50, 000 from K42, 000.

And a 25kg bag of Simba Milling breakfast is now selling between K53, 000 and K60, 000 and that of Roller meal is pegged between K43, 000 and K45, 000.

Some traders talked said the increase in the prices of the commodity is due to insufficient supply by millers to local depots, while others attributed the increase to also the hike in commodity ordering prices.

According to Chanda Chileshe, a trade at Chilenje market, said traders have decided to hike the prices because they are not getting enough stocks to meet the current mealie meal demand.

Mr. Chileshe explained that most mealie meal depots in the area do not have the commodity, adding that this has raise fear and panic among the traders in the area hence the price increase.

And another trader Mirriam Suwali of Long Acres market said milling agents have also increased the ordering price by K3000,saying this has prompted traders to increase the prices of the mealie meal so that they do not trade at a loss.

James Chipango a salesman at Simba depot in Kalingalinga also explained that the increase in mealie meal prices was because of low grain supply to millers.

Mr. Chipango added that millers have not being producing at full capacity because they are receiving inadequate grain stocks to cushion the increasing demand of mealie meal in the country.

ZANIS/MM/AM/ENDS

editor
editorhttp://www.lusakatimes.com

86 COMMENTS

  2. This is really scaring me !! And again my people continue to suffer!! Govt I thought you are making enough money in other sectors kabili!!!

  5. Mealie meal price increase won’t stop untill Zambians start looking like Somali/Sudanese refugees soon. ~X(~X([-x**==**==

  7. i thought RBB promised us low mealie meal prices just before elections!? what does he have to say about this now!? mulelya mweka daddy?

  8. Here lays a Government “The Republic of Zambeziland” which had enough money but failed to feed its people!! What a shame. And Again my people continue to suffer!!

  10. If there is something that this govt can learn from other countries is how a govt works. Even if RB travels the world he does not understand simple matters. It is not a matter of whether we are able but that we should feed our own people. It is not only an obligation of a government but its cole responsibility !!

    Asking other countries to feed you is like asking them to govern you as well!!

    Other Nations are busy (especially in these times of global financial crisis) optimizing their national frameworks. Busy saving their national interests while they respond to the joint call of all nations to put their heads together to avoid a Sunami in the world economy!! RB learn.

  12. Mr president, when is the next trip? To where now? I think you have finished trotting the four coners of the globe what remains for you is to go into space. Please tell the people ther on mars that Zambians are dying. Tell them to come and rule Zambia. [-([-([-([-([-(

  14. On the bottom line of all this turmoil!!! It is the Zambian Government that is killing its own people!!

    Luck of knowledge on how to come up with viable strategies to ensure that there is enough food for the people means death to most of the Citizens of our mother country zambia.

    We own know that it killing begins with “Decision making” !!
    Even before someone shoots they surely decide to do that before they touch the trigger!!
    If you have politicians who decide on very sensitive issues, then it is surely a question of life and death for the concerned . No question about it!! Again RB please take heed and learn that there are lives out there that depend on your decisions

  15. The statement in the middle should read!!
    We all know that killing begins with “Decision making” !!

    :d ka Weizen ka Senda :d

  16. Tomato balunda,Onion nayo ya dula..uno mwaka tulefwa kunsala.I thought President Banda stood on the platform of reducing the price of essential commodities?B4 the elections they reduced the price of mealie meal.but now after the elections the prices has skyrocketed,the kwacha is in freefall against the major currencies,they say there is no money 2 finance infrastructure development,the minister awards contracts now,GMO is now an issue with involvement of sum people close 2 the corridors of power.Whilst all this is going on the pres is not in usually

  17. I will no entirely put the blame on uninspiring RB but you zambian.You have always voted wrongly.We told you that RB was not the right man to manage this country,look at his past,you would only see failures and corruption.These are wages of voting for sleepy RB we are paying .

  20. #17 Zambian President..Part of the blame or most of the blame should go 2 the opposition 4 not campaigning longer,effectively & door 2 door in the villages in a language that the rural folk understand.As u are aware of the differences in voting patterns between rural & urban dwellers.It is something known as rural idiocy whereby a bag of mealie meal & as 2008 elections showed Sugar was king.The people want 2 c something given 2 em then that is the 1 they know in the case of the sugar daddy.lol.So what should b done bout it?

  24. After doing my calculations!! A bag costs max 6 EUROS!! 😕

    From the balcony here in Europe that is nothing!! 😕 Because Dog Food is even more expensive!!
    😕 and that is the equivalent of 50 cigarettes !! A Bucket of KFC (6 pieces of chicken)!!

    This can only mean (to me) that K60 000 is hard to get pa Zed!!

    Let me go to bed and [-o<[-o<[-o< for my beloved country. :-t:-t:-t:-t:-t:-t:-t:-t:-t:-t:-t:-t

  25. ” Mealie meal price continues to rise ”

    And arable land continues to lie fallow, irrigation infrastructure remains unbuilt, and 70% of the population remain semi-employed.

    I’m getting sick and tired of this.

  26. Only K60,000? Double this price could be more reasonable to teach Zedians a lesson that Nshima is not the only food that can fill your stomach. There’s rice, bread, pasta etc.

    RB when in Malawi encouraged Zambians to sell mealie meal to the Zimbabwean brothers when there’s a critical shortage of the commodity in the country. What nonse is this? Don’t cry my people, asked for it BIG TIME by voting the way you did.

  28. Jam@co sent you an email you never replied. I am 3RqU. I’m away from home. Remember you sent me stuff on how to download stuff?

  29. As far as I can remember, the cost of living has never been low in Zambia.

    #27 3RqU what are you doing in Iraq? Are you on a fact finding mission for WMD?
    :d

  30. Nine Chale sent by the boss with a nice woman. Boobs bigger than Dora’s, very blonde and natural. Loving it. Wish my boss could send me on missions like this everyday :d:d:d:d

  31. 😮 again poor gramma ati ” millers have not being producing at full capacity” giv me surity da u haven’t misread the amount, seeing yo writing tis very possible,:((:((bwenzi banda bweezani mutengo waunga~X(~X(~X(

  35. And all that grandstanding that you were going to “import” maize and you i.d.i.o.t.s wind up giving contracts to yoiur sons to bring in GMO maize. You are amazing. But anyway, since you voted for them, you tought it out! Especially you monkeys in the rural areas. Try and survive the next two or three years so that you receive free handouts of mealie meal during election time!

  36. any product that comes from a factory costs more because the producer has to pay labour, electricity bills,water bills,taxes etc.so in the case of mealie meal we zambians should not be complaining because our way of life has been that of the elite we expect mealie meal to come from a factory.why can we learn from tanzanians who by any standards are richer than us but every house hold has a piece of land elsewhere and they produce their own maize.when they harvest they start milling from the hammer mills, hence no FRA no NATIONAL MILLING it’s made by fwebene.

  37. The only people that dont think are those expecting Govnt to supply maize.In Zambia in rains in every district and there is plenty of land we also know very well that govnt has no farm.As a farmer i produce maize from my own energy since rainfull is free, why should the govnt stop me from from selling my produce to Congo or Malawi at a better price if the Zambias cant afford? on one hand you want to encourage maize farming on the other you want cheap maize then how do i make profit to continue with the buisness? Even if you make the price Cheap by whatever subsidy why should i not be allowed to sell to whoever i want including foreigners if i dont participate in subsidies.

  38. Talema nayo nkani ya ungá. Atase, just increase it to K2m per 10 kg bag. Cause thats what the MMD Govt, want, remember they unilaterally increased passports feeds abnormally high to raise funds to feed Ministers bloated bellies.

    We are used pa Zed, everything goes and we watch, arms akimbo.

  39. Guys, lets not separate good health from healthy reasoning. Any person with even one brain cell will tell you that Kunda’s reasoning has been compromised with his failing healthy. Sure, a patient is a patient. Thats the reason why when you are sick, you go on sick leave. Kunda must be retired on medical grounds. He can think any more. His face can be seen by all, blind and those with eyesight that the man is a shadow of himself. We dont want a bye-apointment. VIVA heathy VIPS we want

  40. Nine chale,3RqU,Matworld

    its beeen so long.how are the brethren doing. 😡
    am so scared coz the mealie meal prices keep flactuating,just the other year we had a bamper harvest now we are starving.please send us some food ha ha ha typical of **==s.we keep begging…

  44. CB Minister has complained but I wonder he has not taken action against these traders. Is it question of showing the masses that GRZ is doing something?

  51. This problem is here to stay! How many times are going to complain? Its high time we switched to something else other than depending entirely on mealie meal as our staple food! We ve talked and talked about this and the goverment dont care because they are comfortable! Lets stop talking and improve our lives from that little which we have!

  53. G-Baby

    I’m fine thanks. It’s always a pleasure to hear from you.:)

    #41 Jam@co

    A blogging Samurai like me sleeps with his eyes open!:d

  54. Rupiah Banda used to be a translator for Kaunda and today he is a President.Ok guyz i think our future leaders including people like Teta should be send here in states to take leadership courses and courses like on negotiation and believe me it will move our country forward.

  56. No.26 Nshima is our stable food period. Its good to look at other alternatives but dont come with ideas of Rice & Pasta. Are we able to provide that in abundance and cheaply? Be realistic dont bring in fake ideas after learning about PASTA in Europe. You should look at basic foods readly available in Zambia.Stop dreaming…….

  57. The origins of the current food crisis can be traced to the recycled policies of the Nixon White House. Henry Kissinger stated the premise succinctly in 1970: “Control oil and you control nations; control food and you control the people.”

  59. One man, one bag of mealie meal
    People who buy mealie meal in Chililabombwe will have their thumbs dipped in indelible ink to prevent them from making multiple purchases and reselling the commodity.
    Chililabombwe district commissioner Timothy Musonda said officials would be using voter’s ink to discourage smugglers and people who buy mealie meal and resell it on the black market.
    He said people would also be required to produce national registration cards before buying mealie meal to prevent foreigners from buying the commodity in bulk.

  62. #48 i will raise that point again,and Rupiah Return Banda wanted to give zimbabwens whilst his own nation suffers [-x[-x[-x[-x[-x[-x

  64. I am sorry guys but I have no kind words for this govt, its a bunch of big bellied failures busy making fortunes at our expense. Lesa aka bakanda

  66. My intelligence officers in the field have reported that all the mealie meal impunded in Chililabombwe has finally crossed the border into Congo. This MMD full of rhetoric gymnastics. Today+ they say impunded bags, in the nite the same chaps ferry it across. Anyone can go to Chililabombwe or Chingola you wont find any impounded mealie meal. There was no auction either, so where is it since the trucks free and the smugglers busy drinking & ploting next episode. I rest my case

  69. #37…. Engines you are always supporting MMD/GOVERNMENT. Its seems to you whatever government does is right. I think you are in the calibre of Bena Tetamashimba who always see sense even where there is only nonsense

  70. [email protected] agree with you on the first two comments that you have posted. Our govt should be blamed not 50% but 100%. They are the one that make decisions and those decisions made are affecting all of us. They themselves cannot feel the pain but its more painful for pipo like us who are paid K400,000.00 per month. How do they expect me and other to survive with our families?? Its high time Money Banda stopped travelling to other countries and sort out his problems first. If he cannot make good decisions on our behave then we can do better than having him at state house.

  71. these rural characters! the other day some visitor from the vilage couldnt go to sleep by 23:00 hours even when he had taken Spageti and mince. He wanted aka mege! Five fingers. We need to adjust!

  72. Matworld

    why not???? for you anything my man ha ha ha…anyway just missed you.hope someone doesn’t kill me.how is skool? <:-p<:-p

  73. MY BROTHER CAME TO VISIT WE HAD RICE 4 SUPPER AND WHEN IT WAS TIME TO SLEEP HE SAID ,HOW DO WE SLEEP WITHOUT EATING.THAT KIND OF THINKING IS PURE ZAMBIAN YOU CANT GIVE APURE ZEDIAN ANOTHER FOOD SAMPLE APART FROM NSIMA.MMD PLAEASE DO SOMETHING ABOUT THESE HIGH PRISES .KITWE WE ARE GETTING IT AT K75000

  74. G BABY

    :-j:-j:-j:-jIam chaffed.Skool is great my dear.I will be going to my last lecture at 14:10pm.

    Jam@co

    :-j:-j:-jAti romance?How are you my great friend? Any Idea where I can find Rashid,Man Kunde,Ba Moze,Gazzie and Jenks.I have really missed these pipo.OH my God Sony Mbeba and Chewe also.

  75. Iwe 71 UGLY LEGS, What do people at your village eat? Dont pretend the majority of people cant afford what you are talking about. Ubufontini! Ifya kumena kubulu.

  76. 69. QB
    Sometimes i suport gvnt but on this one i dont suport them, i neither surport those suggesting someone else other than themselves should produce maize for them to feed on.Govnt has made a big blander by incouraging subsidies for the purpose of controlling Maize price in a landlocked country. I ask a question, if i can produce maize out of my own effort why should the govnt tell me the price and where to sell my produce even when i dont participate in the rubbish FSP? Dont you think i have the right to sell my produce and at whetever price i deem fit? Those that want to put prices on other peoples produce should produce the maize themselves while we go to cotton and tobbaco.

  78. Thanks #76 engines for clearing that up because sometimes when i read your comments i would bet you are R.B’s Son.

    Anyway Nice Day
    Chao

  79. Maise is our staple food. Just how have we failed to grow enough of it. Where is the problem. is it Govt or farmers or both.

  81. 79. UK-Zed Observer
    Govnt want rural farmers to produce,rural farmers want govnment to give them inputs and buy maize from them at good price.Those in town want Govnt to buy maize at a cheap price and bring it to town for cheap mealie meal.From this equation the commecial farmer is absent but when the floor price is set the commecial farmer gets affected so he takes his maize to congo.by the way its not mandatory for the farmer to produce maize and when the price is Bad they go cotton and Tobaco with a bit of maize for own consumption.When Maize shortage and good farming rains hit town Membe and the town dweller cry faul to Gvnt knowing fully well that govnt has no farm.

  82. Contld from 81.
    When govnt heeds to presure from Membe and the town dweller GRZ gets some tax payers money into Fertilizer subsidies(FSP) as per advise from the street economist who thinks lowering cost of production alone without a demand adjustment will bring the price down.The peasant gets FSP and produces 2 90kg bags per acre as the town man waits for cheap mealie meal.The commecial farmer who is not part of FSP produces 3 times that per acre.FRA then sets the floor price at 30 pin per bag,the peasant sells a few of his bags as fresh maize,consumes some and sells the rest to FRA meanwhile, commecial farmer sets his eyes on Congo and when GRZ closes the Boader he meals it or make Feed.

  83. This what one blogger wrote on melie Meal etc and that with RBB in Position No.1 we are back to UNIP days of shortages of essentail commodites. The increase of chimanga shortage wil result in price increases and to mitigate this shortage definately this GRZ will start bringing GMO shortly. On the arrest of Anthonio Mwanamoya, there are contradictions.Why is thatit that eachn time there there is a new Minister at AGRIC and FRA CEO has to be replaced its like Medical Stores those days of UNIP and Chiluba. Let us protect professionals

  84. Look here folks. When the budget is made, no one considered population dynamics yet this data is at CSO. The population of Zed, has grown to 12 m from 10 m, there is pressure from neighbouring countries like Congo and Zim, all these factors need to be considered in working out an equation that should be used to ensure that food such as meal meal is always available. Of course the global dynamics are there but that should not be an excuse and in any case SA is not in a recession and expects a growth of 1.2 % as opposed to the projected 3.2 % this year. It’s not just a question of “I have reduced the price of fertilizer” and then you sit and watch the beanstalk grow, CRAZY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

  85. It is all caucus in Zambia now and Zambians are yet to experience the worst.RB was not prepared to be presido of Zambia. I feel pity for my fellow country men. It is indeed a sad news. RB is completely lost and does not even know where to begin from. What a presido. Chatile caakwe………!!

  86. umuntu uyangala ku chakulya……
    a Banda ndani abeka nsima lelo?? its you because you are the only one who can afford the meallimeal!! from unip you should have learnt things went sour when pipo had to line up for sugar n meali meal!! its common knowledge that hungry peolpe are angry peolpe and that anger will reflect in the vote!! and fortunately zambians its not five years this time around!! if we have a government that can’t feed its people then whats it good for?????

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