GOVERNMENT has clarified that the increase in mealie-meal price is due to high demand for maize as a result of the planting season.
Minister of Agriculture and Livestock Robert Sichinga, however, said Government will only intervene when the situation is out of control.
Meanwhile, the Central Statistical Office (CSO) says that the price of mealie-meal has increased by 20 percent to an average of K68 for a 25 kilogramme bag in the past one year.
Mr Sichinga said it is Government’s obligation to ensure that every citizen has access to mealie-meal as the by-product, nshima is the country’s staple dish.
He said on the Zambia National Broadcasting Corporation’s National Watch that during the rainy season, the price of mealie-meal increased due to high demand for the maize seed.
“We will let the market forces determine the price of mealie-meal. We will not impose price controls on anyone but Government will intervene when and where necessary to keep the price at an affordable level.
During the rainy season – starting from December – our consumption increases because most of the people do not have the commodity [maize]. They wait for new crops to be harvested,” he said.
By harvest time, the situation is expected to normalise as the issue of demand and supply will determine the mealie-meal price.
A fortnightly ago, Government directed the Food Reserve Agency (FRA) to offload 50,000 metric tonnes of maize on to the market to stabilise the rising prices of mealie-meal.
Mr Sichinga said FRA is likely to offload more maize on the local market when need arises.
He said Government held a meeting with the Grain Traders Association, Millers Association and Zambia National Farmers’ Union to agree on an average price at which mealie-meal would be sold.
Mr Sichinga, however, said the increase in the price of maize is a good sign because it would encourage farmers to produce more.
On the year-on-year increase, CSO in its latest bulletin indicates that the price of mealie-meal has increased by 20 percent for a 25kg bag of breakfast to K68.06 from K56.67 between December 2012 and December 2013.
During the same period, the price of 25kg bag of roller meal increased by 21 percent to K52.11 from K42.96, while maize grain for a 20-litre tin increased to K30.21 from K22.38.
In the past few weeks, parts of the country have been experiencing increase in the price of mealie-meal, which is now fetching between K70 and K75 for a 25kg bag.
Bob, We select seed immediately after harvest. At that time, that’s when we select the good maize and store it for seed not this time. Please give us another reason not that one.
The situation is already out of control since most people cant afford to buy. off-load maize on the market to stabilize the prices of the commodity to make mealie meal affordable until the next harvest.
people are already dying of hunger and this means the situation is out of control
kanshi mwakosa shani imitwe imwe ba mambala?
This is supposed to be the super brain in PF?
Production of seed maize by seed farmers is specific and independent of the mealie meal maize. Even among villagers, the traditional selection of seed cobs is never mixed with the filling of granaries for annual food security. Mr Sichinga is not being honest.
Sichinga, Sichinga,Schinga, who lied to you that farmers use the maize they have bagged for sale for planting?
Anyway if that is true ;which I know its not, then you and your stupid government are to blame. If you had supplied the farmers with inputs early they would have resorted to using the maize you are talking about. This is just another big lie for which you think people will buy.
Not long ago you were misinforming the nation by lying that FRA has a lot of maize which they will offload soon to stabilise the demand. So after you have realised that your friends in PF sold most the maize to Zimbabwe and Congo ,you decide to invent another lie. What do you take Zambians for? This pure CNP behaviour HH accused you of.
Only UPND will change things for Zambia to produce more food.
@Gen
Welcome back to reality! Now you have managed to smell the coffee really good hey.
We have consistently told you about the stupidity the reigns high in PF but instead you chose to bury your head in the sand until you realised that your tail was on fire for you to act. Any way ,any soul won back from “donchi kubeba ” indoctrination is amazing.
PF are just a bunch of CHIMBWIS and NO PLANS (CNPS) from Sata the president himself all way down to his supporters.
Lets put tribal madness aside and take bold decisions to rally behind UPND and HH in order to save our Zambia from starvation and increased poverty. UNPD has a team of prudent men and women with immense practical knowledge and experience to change things in Zambia for the better.
PF IS ONLY GOOD AT LYING TO THE PEOPLE.
You are right ! Osanama naimwe Abob!
Bob! Please don’t be silly and stup1d
I’ve come across stup1d analytical comments from politicians but this coming from Bob who is suppose to be the mastermind in PF really puts the whole PF intellectualism into the dustbin.
First of all this government has failed to provide and distribute treated Maize Seed to commercial farmers on time. This means Zambia will have a bad harvest next season. I speak as someone who has invested in farming back home and averaging 15,000 bags of maize produce per year.
Secondly, most subsistence farmers pre-select their good seed from the harvest and store it for next season and count on fertilizer to compensate a good yield.
Bob you should just kept zeep. Shame on you.
Bob, bob bob, who do you think you are talking to? Not even your own children can take such crap coming from your mouth. Since when did farmers buy maize from FRA for planting? Your comments are simply s.t.u.p.i.d and shows how silly you are. When will this rotten GRZ stop telling lies.
Hahahaha…..Oh my foot! What an analysis. Political intelligence at its best, so clueless. He has cleared censored what was supposed to have been said. instead of pegging it to the real fact that increase of mealie-meal prices has resulted from the removal of Maize subsidy, because of the boot-licking mentality, opts to give such a damn reason.
@masautso mwale
Thats a good one! You have cracked my rib. Ati ” even your children can’t believe your cr.a.p.
I’ve never heard of such crap in my life. Even my elementary school going child can give a better reason. This man is so dumb and a liar, just like his sebele. The maize seed used for planting is not even 1% of the annual produce. What a dumbnut this Minister is.
Bob be truthful you have just failed and your poor management skills or simple lack of them is causing all these problems. Just accept it you are not as good as you talk or think of yourself.
I am starting to think he has disabilities. I rest my case.
Sichinga quit being smart.Just tell us you’re looking to plug a hole created by that bloated cabinet,heavy debt and to build shell universities.You’re even taxing NGO’s for heaven’s sake.
I do not think that the honourable has given us a plausible reason for the sharp increase in the mealie meal prices. Look at it this way. Is the demand for maize seed as high as the demand for maize consumption?? In my view the reason advanced by the minister makes it look like the increases in mealie meal prices are a direct effect of the competing demand for maize seed. Far from being true. Maybe am missing something.
@The Economist
I totally agree with you but I am not surprised at all as this typical PF behaviour from the time they got into government. They lied all the way into government and to expect anything else from them is like building castles in the air.
The only way forward is to rally behind UPND and HH for better Zambia before PF’s stupidity destroys Zambia.
Wanzelu
He is failing to say the removal of subsidy is having a toiling effect on the price. They liad that the removal will benefit the poor. I am yet to see how but Sichinga has realised that it was pure bufi so he can get back and tell us what we knew was BUFI
@chib
you are damn right! This a typical case of lying when caught with your pants down.
Ba PF balanya nokukana ati temafi yabo.
I we ka Vevet monkey can’t u see that the situation is already out of control? Who are you fooling you pervet son of a ……..
Extremely laughable justification. This man deserves a medal for creativity but the link between his mouth and brain needs urgent rehabilitation. I can bet you even when he was saying this, it sounded ridiculous in his own head coz it was made up right there on the spot. Yaba, Ok but I laughed when I saw just the headline. You can now tell that things are bad where even abakamba ba hardcore PF ba Gen speaks out against Sichinga.
@dudelove
The truth has hit @Gen really hard.
Bob you v become a crook, you are part of Zambia’s well know thieving gang, Panga Family, amafi is rubbing off onto you, you are smelling too, because we all can only see you in light of the disappointing PF GOVERNEMENT..
he has always been a cr.ook
Who is their right mind would be going on a massive maize planting expedition at this time of the year to even cause a shortage of maize?
Can the farmers on this blog please clarify this for us?
Perhaps Sichinga could be right somewhat I think general inflation is more psychological than economics at play.The seemingly late arrival of rains,and fears about looming food shortages next year,hence more hedging by demanding/hoarding more seed by small farmers and households and the wage increment has seemingly lifted more people to afford more mealie meal consumption per month.
The drivers of price increases are irrational by both the consumers and producers.Government should wait a little for the situation to define itself further..Just a thought
Maize seed is not meant consumption. Maize even at the village level, farmers select and store their seed soon after harvest.
The minister is not been honest to the nation and to himself.
Farmer
@MMD Chief Bootlicker
You are absolutely right. No experienced farming community would be planting their maize at this time of the year. All rain dependant planting season ends by the 15th of December. And any one planting at that time would be taking a huge gamble. For a good maize harvest planting starts in early November to early December.
@Mu Zambian
@ MuZambian
No amount of sugar coating Sichinga ‘s lie will change the fact he has lied. On the issue of hoarding yes you could be right because no sane farmer would risk giving his maize to FRA in exchange for a futile promise. Farmers are becoming wiser now. Remember in KK days, they resorted to selling the maize them selves at the markets because the government took too long to pay them.Apart from that all you also trying to do here is amplify Sichinga’s lies. Even common man out there knows the truth about what has caused the price of Maize to rise.
HH an experienced and pragmatic economist who made millions out of his economics knowledge warned PF and the nation that subsidy removal will lead to more hardship for the poor people but people ignored him all because of tribalism
@Wanzelu
Thank you for your observation though you have said nothing about(minimum) wage increases.But how long ago was the removal of subsidies.There was a general rise in prices including mealie meal then.I would have thought the effects would have been absorbed by now.What factors lagged to catch millers now?Though I expect another round of subsidies removal next year, I doubt if this is the reason for the current increases.My guess is that the increments have more to do with imagined present and future realities than purely economic realities.
Please enlighten me.
Sir !
NONE – Planting expedition stops around 15th Dec, unless if the rains come very late or a farmer will extend by depending on irrigation systems.
Mind you irrigation is mostly used for Horticulture produces in the dry seasons Vis-à-vis …. vegetables and so on !!
At this time of the year you can only plant early maturing varieties.
Most ridiculous political and unrealistic explanation. Honestly, this is taking people for granted. Insulting people’s intelligence. How does the minister expect anyone to buy this hopeless explanation. Sometimes, it pays to just be honest and say what is really obtaining on the ground. We have a long way to go as a country……, Z desperately needs leaders
Is maize seed obtained from maize bought from farmers? What is the connection between maize seed and high price of mealie meal?
Bob is an empty tin who is good at talking. Remember when he was in opposition how he used to talk about windfall tax now he is quiet about it.
PF promised to reduce mealie meal price the opposite is the case now. People who voted for them are can not afford the staple food any longer, while pf leadership is enjoying.
Bob please not annoy us more with your childish ranting
I did not realise that we have too many mental patients around! Imagine imagining trillions of cash fake in the economy, seeing farmers planing maize for consumption instead of maize seed, planted and treated for such a cause? I am mauless!
What can you expect with the removal of maize and fuel subside. The PF theory of removing it in order to benefit the poor is being tested now.
Total lie and he knows it. How come this is happening now when we have been planting every season ? The more plausable explanation could be that we did not produce enough and there is now produce inflation. The other factor could be the removal of subsidies, especially on fuel which has resulted in increased production costs for the farmers and they have refused to bail you out and your political expediencies.
There they go again with conflicting statements, only a couple weeks ago one minister was quoted as saying government will step in and bring down the prices, now they realise that’s not how a good economy works. And if there is increased demand for maize pushing up demand why not offload the enough maize we were told about. And why all these years we have never heard of such a surge in demand stimulated by demand for maize seed? The reasons advanced don’t sound plausible. It’s becoming harder and harder to believe our leaders’ pronouncements. God help Zambia!
U are the only f-o-o-l bwana minister and u cant fool us! Demand for maize seed affects mealie meal prices??/ heheheheheheheheheheheheheheheeeeee
@Ex ZIT
Only in UKWANOMICS is such an explanation plausible!
And why are we so stuck with maize for our staple food? Just as Maize was only popularised some 50 years ago, we can begin to promote other cereals like amale, sorghum, rice and cassava. This mealie meal has become unnecessarily too political!
@Charlie
Stop lying in broad day light. Try to be specific in your assertion . Maize has been a staple food for Eastern, Southern, Central province, Lusaka ,Western, North western , and Copper-belt regions of Zambia for a long time even before the colonial masters colonised Zambia. If you say in Muchinga, Northern and Luapula I would agree with you.
However even if people were to adopt rice for example, can the PF government manage to provide inputs required to grow the crops you talking about in time?
Do not try to defend the indefensible here. People are awaking to failures and shambolic ways in which Sata and his PF are mismanaging the economy and destroying the country.
OUR ONLY HOPE IS UPND AND HH IF and ONLY IF WE PUT MMEMBE’S TRIBAL STUPIDITY ASIDE AND THROW IT IN HIS…
And there I was thinking I am the only one confused by the link Sichinga is making. I am just tired of these lies, please spare us your quicksilver mouth. This chap talks too much nonsense at a very fast pace. Minister my foot.
Ubukopo pa Zed, is this man really fit to run the ministry he has been assigned to and does he really understand what he is talking about. No wonder some people say Zambia has gone to the dogs – this is very true. What has the rainy season got to do with mealie meal prices mwe bantu, only dull people can take Hon. Sichinga’ s statement seriously. Has Sichinga as well as his boss the President got farms anywhere in Zambia ? I doubt.
Luapula Premier and your fellow cadres, Insane Osmore nabena Zambiano, abena Halenya not forgetting abakamba ba Mpundu Trust, Sichinga is being massacred here, please come quick and offer your usual defences and justifications. We may be missing something and only you guys can help, kaili we cannot talk to Sichinga direct, mwaishiba guys?
@dudelove,
You are damn right! Where are these PF buffoons to defend their confused master.
Oh, those TNPs (Tuchimbwi No Plans). They are just paid PF Cadre bloggers who lay in wait for and target HH or UPND powerful contributions so that they can spew garbage. It is a sponsored and coordinated attempt to distract bloggers from the actual seriousness of the issues raised. They usually blog from Internet Cafes and don’t have enough money.
Have you ever seen any of them blogging on issues like the Economy, Agric etc?
‘as the by-product, nshima is the country’s staple
dish’. Please educate me. What is a by product? From my humble knowledge of cost accounting it means a product produced accidentally in the process of producing main product. To me as a zambian nshima is not a by-product but a major product, since its our staple food.
Hahaaa But Bwana Minister your reasoning is very wrong. Seed maize is grown by seed companies and stocked by them and not FRA or any trader. Please learn to consult technocrats before you talk from without. The increase in the maize mealie meal price is seasonal , every year it occurs between December and March. Just tell people to prepare themselves for this period. The small scale farmers should not sell all the maize but leave enough for this critical period, those in urban areas should serve for this period. kwasila no price controls bane.
Iwe chi truth Hates why are you lying like your sick Minister??? Do you even live in Zambia??? Under RB whether December or March, prices were always constant and if there were any changes it was downwards and not up! Which part of Zambia do you visit every December and March iwe chipuli?? It is so annoying when dunderheads like you tell blatant lies and here you are admonishing Sichinga about learning to consult! Very sick chap! Atase, ati seasonal, kwisa?? Wanzelu, listen to this chap ayi! Not all of us are mu diaspora boyi irrespective of the flag shown and we are bread winners so we always make sure we know prices of things like mealie meal. Mwandi you have annoyed me, I just wanted you to know!
@ dudelove, man engage me on a civil level than this childish level of yours. In fact what you have called me thats what I have just as you have them. Thanks for mentioning them.
Coming to the seasonal mealie meal prices, yes man, this is how it is in Zambia…that is the trend unless you have not observed dear. Take note of these season’s prices between December and March and then compare them to other months in the year. The notable in every year is the increase in mealie meal price during this period. So man, just prepare your self for high prices of mealie meal during this period. Thus man, there is no need of insulting but is a matter of being well informed.
Man this is not true. Much of maize is with the Grain traders who bought the commodity at the price higher than K65/50kg bag from the farmers. FRA doesnt have maize to push on the market to push the price of maize down. If FRA had alot of maize it would have just pushed it on the market and all this drama wouldnt have been there. This time drama is on because it dont see Grain traders selling the commodity at K65/50kg per bag like FRA.
It is really a painful thing to think about when widows and orphans are straggling to put food on the table while someone is not telling the truth about this important matter in this country, its shameful.
I thought Bob sichinga, was one of the sensible chaps in the PF, but with this kind of reasoning that is the reason why m/meal is out of reach in terms of price. It’s a shame that we have such kind of people as our leaders who have become day light CHEATERS!!
Oh, those TNPs (Tuchimbwi No Plans). They are just paid bloggers who lay in wait for and target HH or UPND powerful contributions so that they can spew garbage. It is a sponsored and coordinated attempt to distract bloggers from the actual seriousness of the issues raised. They usually blog from Internet Cafes and don’t have enough money.
Have you ever seen any of them blogging on issues like the Economy, Agric etc?
I am referring to those paid bloggers – Luapula Premier, Chinyama, Jojo, Insane Osmore nabena Zambiano, abena Halenya not forgetting abakamba ba Mpundu Trust, etc. – as challenged by @dudelove #19
THIEVES!
I shudder to think he is the brains of PF. Really how many tonnes of seed are planted in relation to national maize consumption. The tonnage is insignificant. Besides, seed companies dont participate in the consumption market. Seed is too expensive to be turned into maize mill. Ridiculous theory Bob.
Bob Sichinga is the most ‘unlearned’ minister in our govt today. How can demand for maize seed result in shortage of maize for consumption? Maize for consumption is hybrid and cannot be sold as seed. Sichinga, if you are delivering maize for consumption to farmers as seed to beat demand (for seed) for this year’s planting season, then we are done as nation.
If Bob Sichinga is right, then this is an admission that his ministry has colluded with seed companies to supply our farmers with consumption maize as seed. Blame for any poor yields this season should rightly fall on this minister.
I, therefore, call upon H.E. the Republican President to fire Sichinga. This scandal matches that of Scot while in FTJ’s govt.
I AM STARTING TO TAKE THE LIES THEY THINK THEY CAN FEED US PERSONALLY. PF NEEDS TO UNDERSTAND SOMETHING VERY IMPORTANT. PF WAS NOT PUT IN POWER TO PUT UP PRICES OF FOOD, ON TOP OF FEEDING US LIES. THEY WERE NOT VOTED IN TO BECOME RICH PERSONALLY BUT TO HELP OUR NATION BECOME RICHER AMONG OTHER THINGS. IF POLITICIANS FIND THESE MOST BASIC OBJECTIVES CAN’T BE FULFILLED, THEN THEY NEED TO FIND NEW EMPLOYMENT. FOOD PRICES WILL BE GOING UP GLOBALLY BUT THIS SHOULD NOT DARE AFFECT ZAMBIA. ZAMBIA SHOULD BE ABLE TO FEED THE WORLD AND THEMSELVES WHILE PROSPERING FINANCIALLY.
@dude love & bwana mukubwa,,usually my contributions are very objective and will offer solutions.I am not paid to blogg like you that are always negative and turn a blind eye on any thing credible the govt does yet amplifying any cheap errer in speach by minister at a social gathering.i am a technocrate in agric logistics and telecoms construction i will critisize Govt and praise when they score..they are learning fast on agric and have done vey well in construction and taking controls to govt depts…ask civil servants to confirm…
Good boy. Coincidentally, most of your blogs are in praise of these P. Failures to a point where you sound like a die-cadre.
For example, you are saying govt is “learning fast on agric” – umh? I don’t see any lessons learnt by Bob. Lying shamelessly like he is doing just now? Last week he was in Eastern Pro lying, a few weeks back, he was in Kalomo where he could not differentiate between maize and Grass!
Construction? Don’t see anything that MMD didn’t do. They take over MMDs projects and they want to gloat all the glory. Its an honourable thing to share the credit by acknowledging the role played by your predecessors. The Kariba North Bank gens, the Shangombo transmitters etc, can not be conceived, planned, constructed and commissioned in 24 months. Others did. Credit them…
@Bwana Mkubwa I totally concur with you. You have hit the nail on the head. I found chinyama postings not only higly irresponsible but also childish.
Agriculture is the backbone of any nation ruled by a normal president, for havens sake we should not experiment with agric as affects the lives of majority zambians who voted for paya farmer.
Let us put our country first before party. Chinyama is paid pf cadre who can’t see myriad of errors being made by his pf party of he is paid handsomely.
even the stated prices of mealie meal are inaccurate. in Northern Province Braksfast is being sold for K85 per bag.
So Ba Bob has given farmers FRA maize as seed!! Even the dull ones can see the lies in this.
How I wish I had voted for HH!!
Hay BA BOB, please do one thing,SHUT UP.it shows how useless you are, Since when did farmers plant maize from F.R.A. Farmers buy seed, fromZamseed, plant and later sell grain to FRA. That’s lesson .one.Lesson 2 I am enrolling you in grade 8 so when you finish grade 12 you will not tell stupid lies. OK BOB