Livingstone and Ndola districts have been hit with a shortage of mealie-meal with major retail outlets running out of the commodity.
A check conducted in Livingstone yesterday revealed that the two Shoprite outlets had no mealie-meal while Spar had few bags of the commodity by mid-morning.
At Maramba Market, a 25kg bag of National Milling breakfast was going at K67 while roller meal was at K56.
Some millers and traders talked to attributed the shortage of the commodity to non availability of maize on the market.
Mwasimu Milling is currently selling a 25 kilogramme bag of breakfast meal at K60 from the previous price of K55 two weeks ago while the price of roller meal has increased to K55 from K50.
Musanza Milling is selling a 25 kg bag of breakfast meal at K65 from the previous price of K58 while the price of roller meal has increased to K55 from K48.
Speaking in an interview in Livingstone, Mwasimu Milling director Mukuwe Imbwela said his firm stopped producing the mealie meal because the Food Reserve Agency (FRA) had not yet started off-loading maize on the market.
He said his firm was being forced to buy maize from Kalomo at a high price which they passed on to consumers in Livingstone.
“Maize has become expensive and difficult to find so now we have had no production as we are getting it at K1, 700 per kg from Kalomo because the Food Reserve Agency (FRA) has not yet started selling maize to millers,” Mr Mukuwe said.
Meanwhile, mealie-meal traders have expressed concern at the escalating prices of the commodity from the wholesalers.
The traders said they were forced to hike the retail prices because the commodity was becoming scarce to get.
In Ndola, mealie-meal continues to be scarce with most popular outlets running out of the commodity of which price is varying from K64 to K75.
A check at Ndola’s Shoprite yesterday found that there were no stocks of 25 kg breakfast mealie-meal bags that were initially going at K64 and K65.The shop had stocks of 10 and 5 kg mealie-meal bags.
In Chifubu Township however, the mealie-meal was available in most shops with the average price being K75.
A check at Major Trading found stocks of 25 kg Simba mealie-meal going for K75.
The National Milling retail store in town centre had K25 kg bags of breakfast mealie-meal going at K64 and roller meal bags going for K45.
Ok, this sounds good.
That’ s what you wanted – you will live to regret under the PF administration. Assuming that they were still in the opposition, by now you would have been hearing a lot talking against the skyrocketing prices and shortages but alas, they are on the steering wheel and they are quiet as thay have got no solution to the problem and are not solution oriented. What a shame to Zambia.
@ Kwacha Ngwee
If PF were still in opposition prices would not be skyrocketing and there wouldn’t be shortages.
Zambians please let us learn to be pro-active. We always experience high prices during December through March. we have to plan for these 4 Months…..Millers know that this period is lean hence they take advantage of it to increase prices. GRZ should also be pro-active, why cant FRA offload the maize to households so they just gaisha the maize. I am tied of every year hearing here mealie meal shortage there maize price high…..why cant we well plan, are we so dull?
Peace and Prosperity to Mother Zambia.
This is all but part of the improved economy under PF, to ensure more money in the pockets of the poor.
The prices in Ndola and Livingstone are affordable compared to Solwezi where a 25Kg bag is now selling at K75 and K85.
Chibwi No Plan is at work.
This is due to high demand for maize seed imwe, this is planting season. Muleumfwa kuli ba Minister of fimofimo and shingananikane…
I was thinking the shortage was due to the cancellation of GBM’s business contracts.
Meanwhile the pic above also has it’s own story to tell: a bag of maize in a wheelbarrow surrounded by 3 youths with an impish grin on their faces (have you noticed the boy grabbing his flesh axe?)