Maize and mealie meal prices in Zambezi district have extremely gone up despite government through Food Reserve Agency (FRA) off loading maize on the market.
A survey conducted by ZANIS at Zambezi New Market today revealed that a 50 kilogrammes (kg)bag of maize is being sold at K150,000 while a 10 kg tin of maize has been increased from K10,000 to K25,000.
A 25 kg bag of breakfast is now selling at K85,000 from K60,000 while a 10 kg bag is fetching K45,000 from K30,000.
A tin of cassava has gone up from K7,000 to K12,000 while 50 kg bag is now fetching K85,000 from K65,000.
George Njolomba, a businessman of Kashi – Best Investment attributed the exorbitant prices mealie-meal to transport expenses due to long distance from other provinces since North-Western province has no main maize milling plant.
Meanwhile, Pastor James Chinyama of Nazarene Church and Zambezi resident, appealed to the government to intervene by bringing an investor to construct a milling plant in the area as Zambezi district is now producing a lot of maize.
Pastor Chinyama told ZANIS that at the moment there are some heavy trucks transporting maize from Zambezi FRA depot to either Lusaka or Copper belt yet maize and mealie meal are being sold at exorbitant prices in the district.
He lamented that people in the district have now resorted to taking only one meal per day instead of three because they cannot afford to buy either maize or mealie meal because the commodities are very
expensive.
And, Zambezi District Commissioner, Catherine Mukuma when contacted declined to comment saying she was new in the district but assured to give a detailed statement after conducting a tour of the
markets.
ZANIS
No milling company in Northwestern Province? Come on this is very serious! Even the allegedly backward Western Province has Two milling companies!
We are definitely back in the KK days…. i miss the MMD days already.Â
The PF con men have monopolized the buying of maize from FRA at a cheaper price and reselling at exorbitant price,elolwanya.
No amount of gym work out can remedy it.
Blame is obviously on the government of today and yesterday. What a shame!! And the MPs sit in parliament quiet?