THE Millers Association of Zambia (MAZ) has said that it will not reduce the price of mealie meal claiming the prices had a fortnight ago been reduced.
On Friday, Agriculture and Cooperatives Minister Peter Daka called on the millers to reconsider the cost structure for mealie meal production and make the prices affordable to the citizens.
Mr Daka said this when he launched this year’s crop-marketing season in Monze.
In a statement in Lusaka yesterday, MAZ executive officer Harrison Banda said the association members had already reduced the prices of mealie meal by K2,000 for a 25 kilogramme bag resulting in the current price of breakfast on the Copperbelt ranging from K56,000 to K61, 500 and in Lusaka from K56, 000 to K59, 500.
“Roller meal was reduced by as much as K6,000 per 25 kg bag and is currently selling at between K36,000 and K40,000 depending on the brand and location since mealie meal is a highly competitive product,” Mr Banda said.
He said consumers should realise that this year’s maize price at K65,000 per 50 kilogramme bag was the same as for the last season, a move that saw mealie meal prices being subsidised almost throughout the year.
Mr Banda said this was despite an increase in millers carrying costs of maize stocks, which included storage, fumigation, security and finance charges.
“Most millers have stocks of the expensive maize (actual costs plus carrying costs) from the previous season to last until about June this year. It would therefore be unreasonable to expect further reductions in mealie meal prices when the base of the raw material, maize has remained constant which will go up with the carrying costs,” Mr Banda said.
He, however, said MAZ was hopeful that with the carry-over stocks from last season and the expected bumper harvest this year, there could be excess supply of maize on the market.
Mr Banda said depending on the interaction of the market supply and demand, the prices of both maize and mealie meal could come under pressure around June and July for the benefit of the consumers.
Jerrrrrrrrraaaabooooo u’niti
Tubombel’a kabwali twafola pa sate yabungafye ata’a….apapena mwatwipayafye,mwatukokola pamala twachula
abomfwa bwino pantu nibambi,,abalya bwino nibambi,aba bombesha nabena nibambi,abachula nibambi…abanine ndeke nibambi,ngatwafola yama shikilili,ngatwafola ya tujilijili
# 1 RED CARD-Smoothcriminal
This is not a bemba site bwana are you trying to divide this site according to tribe ?. You bembas are just full of it. As far as we are concerned we gave you bembas a chance with FJT, look what he and his kinship did to Zambia. the bembas were stealing like they were monkeys in a maize field. . No way this time.
#2 muz
ata iwe,tyoko,,mtshhhh
Do you have an infiriority complex,,,this is a free sight,anyone can use whatever form of communication they so wish as long as they get their message across,if you cant understand it then ignore it for christ sake,it only means that its not for you but someone who will understand it.for the record im not bemba,im from the east (ngoni),
and thats just an extract from a song by a zambian musician-Dandy Krazy
Ka #2 Muz nikapuba maningi. Sia muziba Dandy Krazy. muntu wanga ni paZED pano pa LSK Times.. so tumakamba chitundu cha ku nyumba. chapa pa ZED.. choka pano na chizungu chako!!! tribalist bigot.. Oh. and I’m Half Lunda Kazembe half Luvale…
let us forgive #2 and move on. I like the extract from Daddy Krazy. It just talks about Mealie Meal you tribalism bustard #2. Zambia has moved past those stages were we should be worrying about tribe. I am bemba and I have two Tonga speaking kids home coz my wife is Tonga.
# 2 You sound very stressed . Please do not commit sucide. # 1 was just giving us one of the local songs. Now you just show us your tribalisim. And point of correction FTJ is not Bemba. He is from Luapula province. Those local songs are very nice .
number2 donnot waste your time talking about a tribe , because yours is also allowed. just write in your mothers tongue donnot intimidate that bemba man, zambia has 73tribes all of them are equal why worry just use the one you choose to use.
# 2 you have very bad manners ayi.It is pipo like you that have brought zambia down stupudi I.d.iot.
So how does Peter Daka expect Millers to reduce the meali meal prices when they are heavily taxed. The costs of production have to go down first. Try raising the taxes on the mines first. Create some liquidity for the country.
# 1 Rah rah….nafuchi nafuchi! That song is the cry of shi mine.
# 2 twakwelela bigge tawishibe efyo ulelanda!
Being a minister is a very easy job, you don’t need to work hard, research your facts before making public statements, listen to citizens and what really matters to them. The millers know what they are talking about, they have a better relationship with their customers (the citizens) who buy their unga. How far removed is this minister from the citizens and millers? Judging from his statement I think like most politicians, he lives on planet Mars, he does not eat nshima every day, and he has a “speech” quota to fulfill so he can get paid – tax payer’s money, there bane!
All sober zambians know which tribe was behaving like monkeys in a maize field. 3/4 of all major theives for goverment do come from this tribe. I will not say which tribe it is because i will be called tribalist. Lets be one zambia one nation, but watch which tribe is your next door or you find no cash left in the goverment.