The Civil Society for Poverty Reduction has commended Zambian farmers for producing a record Maize bumper harvest for the 2013/2014 farming season.
CSPR Head of Information and Advocacy Diana Ngula said farmers need praise for their hard work which has resulted in surplus Maize production.
Ms. Ngula said in an interview that surplus Maize should result in reduced mealie meal prices.
“Admittedly, Nshima is our staple food and we feel happy as a nation when we attain food security and food sovereignty and we say kudos to our hard working farmers but the bone of contention should be whether this will translate into lower mealie meal prices,” she said.
Ms. Ngula observed that the current mealie meal prices are way beyond the reach of most citizens.
Diana, tell us how. Hopefully you are not implying that it should translate to lower raw corn prices either. Subsidies? Old story. Localize milling? A possibly refreshing possibility.
TRANSLATING INTO LOWER MEALIE MEAL PRICES? I DOUBT IT REALLY. FIRST, MAIZE AND MEALIE MEAL ARE TWO DIFFERENT PRODUCTS AND SECOND, IT WILL ALL DEPEND ON WHAT YOU DO WITH MAIZE PRODUCED. IF YOU DECIDE TO EXPORT MOST OF IT OR PRODUCE ANIMAL FEED AND ONLY RETAIN WHAT THE COUNTRY NEEDS THEN LOWER PRICES CANNOT BE ACHIEVED. REMEMBER THAT THE MEALIE MEAL SUBSIDY IS NO LONGER THERE. WHAT IS HAPPENING NOW IS THAT MAIZE PURCHASE PRICE, STORAGE AND ADMINISTRATIVE COSTS AND ANY OTHER COSTS UP TO THE MILLING COSTS AND UP TO THE RETAIL SHOP IN KAPUTA AND SHANGOMBO WILL HAVE TO BE PAID FOR BY YOU AND ME THE CONSUMERS. THIS ALSO MEANS THAT WE CAN’T HAVE UNIFORM MEALIE MEAL PRICES. SOLUTIONS? CHANGE EATING HABITS (GO FOR CASSAVA, RICE, SOGHUM, ETC) OR GETTING INVOLVED IN PRODUCING WHAT YOU NEED AS IN…
IF WE DO NOT CHANGE EATING HABITS OR DO NOT GET INVOLVED IN PRODUCING WHAT WE NEED TO EAT JUST AS IT IS IN KENYA THEN YOU OR LET ME SAY WE ARE IN TROUBLE AND THIS HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH GOVERNMENT BUT OURSELVES. IT WILL EVEN BE WORSE IF THOSE WHO ARE PRODUCING MAIZE PUT PRESSURE ON THE GOVERNMENT TO INCREASE THE MAIZE FLOOR PRICE FROM LAST YEAR’S K 65.00 PER 50 KG BAG TO SOMETHING HIGHER. TRANSPORTATION OF THIS CROP WILL DEFINITELY GO UP DUE TO THE RECENT HIKE IN FUEL PRICES. IF ZESCO INCREASES THE TARIFF THEN WE EXPECT THE MILLERS TO INCUR HIGHER MILLING COSTS WHICH WILL TRANSLATE INTO HIGHER MEALIE MEAL PRICES THAN WE HAVE AT THE MOMENT. REMEMBER THAT IF YOU DO NOT WORK OR NOT PRODUCTIVE THEN ANY PRICE AND I MEAN ANY PRICE IS A VERY HIGH PRICE INDEED. LET US GET INVOLVED IN PRODUCTION.
HISTORICALLY,CASSAVA HAS BEEN THE STAPLE FOR PEOPLE OF LUAPULA. THE FINNISH GOVERNMENT THROUGH FINIDA PROGRAMMES EVEN SUPPORTED THE PRODUCTION OF CASSAVA WHICH IS NOW PRODUCED IN ABUNDANCE WITH LITERALLY NO MARKET. JUST DRIVE ALONG CHEMBE ROAD AND SEE WHAT LIES ALONG THE ROUTE! BUT PEOPLE CANNOT MAKE CASSAVA MEAL AND UTILISE IT BUT WAIT FOR MEALIE MEAL EVEN IN THE REMOTEST PART OF LUAPULA – REASON? POLITICS. PEOPLE SAY THERE IS ALWAYS RELIEF FOOD AT THE VICE PRESIDENT’S OFFICE AND THEY ALSO NEED TO BENEFIT EVEN IF THEY DID NOT NEED IT. ONE YEAR IN ONE DISTRICT A DC TOGETHER WITH PEOPLE THERE CRIED FOR MORE MAIZE BUYING DEPOTS BECAUSE OF BUMPER HARVEST THAT YEAR! A WEEK LATER THE SAME DC AND PEOPLE WERE APPEALING FOR RELIEF MAIZE BECAUSE OF HUNGER DUE TO CROP (MAIZE) FAILURE – HOW…