SUPERIOR Milling Company Limited has reduced its mealie meal prices by more than three per cent in all outlets operating outside the line of f rail in response to the recent reductions in fuel prices in the country, managing director Peter Cottan has said.
Mr Cottan said his firm had with immediate effect reduced the price of a 25 kilogram bag of breakfast mealie meal from K69 to K67.
He said the price of a 25 kilogram bag of roller mealie meal had also been reduced from K52 to K50.
Mr Cottan was speaking in Sesheke District in Western Province yesterday during the official opening of Superior Milling new Depot in the area.
During the same launch, Superior Milling empowered 10 local women in Sesheke with 10 kg bag of floor each to start running their businesses from the same product.
“Today on February 3, 2015, I wish to announce that we have reduced the price of our mealie meal by more than three per cent in all its outlets operating outside the line such as Sesheke, Mansa, Chipata and Kaoma among others.
“This is in response to the recent reduction in fuel prices by the Energy Regulation Board (ERB),” has said.
Mr Cottan noted that although the fuel cost was not a major component in the production of mealie meal, his entity saw it prudent to effect reductions in mealie meal prices to support the rural economies.
He said his entity would also engage the Government on the possibility of reduction mealie meal prices along the line of rail.
“We want to encourage farmers to produce bumper harvests. We also need to ask ourselves if the price of maize from farmers or the Food Reserve Agency (FRA) is fair or not,” Mr Cottan said.
He said the Government alone could not achieve deployment and hence the private sector support was essential in taking the country forward.
Mr Cottan said his firm was currently expanding its mill at the head office in Lusaka’s Chinika Industrial area at a cost of K20 million saying the new plant was earmarked for commissioning on March 18, 2015.
And officiating at the same launch, Sesheke District Commissioner Mihupulo Yumei thanked Superior Milling for reducing mealie meal prices for its rural-based outlets.
Mr Yumei said the Patriotic Front (PF) Government under the leadership of President Edgar Lungu was excited when the private sector support were helping to take development to the people.
“Our country is on the right path of development but we need to strengthen and sustain our support for private sector driven growth because their contribution to our nation is cardinal in achieving the Vision 2030 of making Zambia a prosperous middle income nation.
“I call upon other private companies to emulate Superior Milling in growing their business beyond their comfort zones so that the country’s dream of achieving economic independence can be a reality,”
he said.
Mr Yumei expressed hope that residents of the nearby Katimamulilo town in Namibia would come and buy the product as the two countries enjoyed a cordial relationship.
In a vote of thanks, Chisangu Esther Nzinza thanked Superior Milling for empowering women in the area.
It’s still more expensive than the K35 mealie meal price Kaminamisa Lungu and his minions found when they took over from MMD 3 years ago
Everyone in the supply chain should reduce the prices of their products/ services coz the cost of transportation of EVERYTHING is and continues to REDUCE. COME ON PEOPLE, LETS BE HUMANE !
@Chils: Meali Meal was K35 before PF Govt because of the consumer subsides corn meal enjoyed—let us not forget that!
And meali meal being such a political hot potato in our country, previous Govts (UNIP and MMD) were simply not courageous enough to tinker with meali meal subsides. But if that’s the kind of economics we Zambians want, well and good. But lets remember that Govt coffers aren’t infinitely overflowing to keep supporting such consumer based economics/subsides into perpetuity.
Nonetheless, I agree that the price of meali meal is still too high considering the higher percentages the fuel prices were reduced. To me, this is were I feel millers can do better. But trying to compare prices between the days of meali meal subsides and today is really misleading.
THIS IS A STEP IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION, ANY ECONOMIST WOULD AGREE THAT A GRADUAL REDUCTION IS A MOST SUSTAINABLE ONE.
Me am hopeful that RB will rub his magic onto H.E. Lungu so that we can have mealie meal back to less than K40; dollar to less than K5; cement to less than K42; and everything down, down, down…..
Life goes on every day and we cannot wait for the next government whether it is Nakakwi or whoever. We want to live good NOW.
RB, unabwela bweza mitengo…ine ndine mwana wanyoko kuno ku Southern Rhodesia.
The Reduction isn’t significant for the consumer. Millers should reduce the price by at least 15% to have any meaningful impact
How have you arrived at 15%??
Things change, people stop making noise unnecessarily, the price of 3 yrs ago won’t be the same as today. Just appreciate that something is happening. Viva PF till 2021, next year it’s a walk over.
mulibapuba imwe..viva 2 kwacha…iyo kwena
Exactly my point, do these people expect the price to be the same as thaof 3 years ago? In fact it will go up again sometime soon. A gallon of gas was $1.99 three days ago, now it’s $2.15 as of today. Just wake hard imwe ba pompwe. Viva PF
K 67.00 it is still expensive man apa manje ni one meal a day we told you ba *****
To my fellow country men please address the Republican President with respect.He is the father of all nation including you who are calling him names.
In lsk mealie meal isk is k 60000 unrebased.3% means the reduction is k1800.what nonsense is this? Infact bettter they increase by the same amount we still not going to get the difference.