President Edgar Lungu has said that he has no doubt that the prices of mealie meal will reduce following China’s agreement to set up milling companies in all the 10 provinces.
He says he promised to reduce the price of mealie meal in his campaigns prior to the January 20th Presidential elections.
President Lungu said that Zambia produces a lot of maize and that there is no reason why the price of mealie meal should be high.
He said that it is for this reason that he visited China to seek assistance on setting up milling companies.
President Edgar Lungu has assured Zambians living in Diaspora of Government’s commitment to helping address the various challenges affecting their welfare abroad.
Mr Lungu said this when he addressed the Zambian Community living in China during a dinner held here at Kempinski Hotel.
The president said that he had already taken steps aimed at improving the welfare of Zambians living Diaspora particularly those in China who have been encountering unpleasant situations during their stay
And President Edgar Lungu said that his State visit to China has revitalized the cordial bilateral relations that exist between Zambia and the People’s Republic of China.
The President said that a lot of agreements between Zambia and China have been inactive due to lack of constant interaction between the two countries.
President Lungu said his visit and meeting with his Chinese counterpart Xi Jingping has been an audit of how relations between the two countries have been so far.
The President was speaking in an interview with Journalists in Shangahi, China shortly before leaving for Zambia.
President Lungu said Chinese firms have been operating in Zambia for a long time and that it is time that Governments maintained a constant interaction.
He said that his visit means that the two governments will now approach their relations with more vigor in all sectors of society.
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To be honest, I do not believe that we need the Chinese in this kind of business. This is something that, with right incentives from Govt, Zambians can easily do. If citizens are failing, let the Govt form cooperatives or companies in this industry. I do not trust the Chinese; they will be adding toxic chemicals to boost their output, etc. Are we now failing to even meal/grind our own maize to feed ourselves? Shame.
Zambian government is really bankrupt . Now depending loans from China ? How long will this last . $80 billion loans now zambia owns , how will you start paying back ? Next 3 years it will be $100 billion in loan .
Our President is misguided . The major cost driver of Millie meal is the cost of growing maize. There are two things that will happen if the Government continues to dictate the floor price of maize, the farmers will stop growing it and will either have to import or let the Chinese millers grow their own maize.
It’s amazing that the government is looking for solutions abroad , you are absolutely right , with the correct incentives a lot of capable Zambians can venture into this business.
Gentlemen this is the situation we are in!
As Zambians we have the common African nature of selfishness. Some business ventures are not just wise andd money making, but also a service to the community!
HH and GBM are examples of business men with a lot of money, yet we don’t see them putting up milling plants and dairy/beef outgrower schemes all over the country, why? Because that’s our nature. Chimsoro Milling, Olympic, these are examples of companies not ready to take the risk!
But surely we have a Nigerian coming to pump $1m to set up cement plants around the country. If we don’t begin to change as Zambians we will be beggers in our own country.
Look at what Lawrence Sikutwa has been doing, always growing, expanding, employing
Apart from 1 or two roads and buildings done by the Chinese there has never been a successful commercial project by the Chinese. These milling companies will go the Mulungushi textiles way. Source finance for people like GBM to expand their businesses into the provinces. The Chinese get money from their government to fund projects. Why can’t we do the same?
This is embarrassing to say the least..Chinese people coming ALLL the way to come and set up a mealie meal plan, our staple food sure…we might as well give the country to China..this is ridiculous…sure failing to make our own food, it looks like Lungu is just pointing at Chinese to come and do everything here, apart from appointing and firing, he is just telling people to come and do things, i don’t trust Chinese, they will name zambia as one of their provinces, just wait…
Here is my question? Is mealie meal cheaper in Lusaka, Choma or kabwe where there milling companies?
THE ANSWER IS NO!!!
The problem is the production cost, the Chinese might even charge more for mealie meal if the production cost does not go down.
THE HIGH COST OF EVERYTHING IN ZAMBIA IS DUE TO LACK OF VALUE ADDITION INDUSTRIES- EVEN SIMPLE INDUSTRIES SUCH AS MILLING PLANTS FOR GRAIN, UKUSALULE MBALALA (PEANUTS/CASHEW NUTS ETC), LET ALONE THE VALUE ADDITION TO OUR COPPER AND OTHER MINERALS. IN THE MEANTIME IT’S VERY OK FOR LUNGU TO INVITE THE CHINESE TO COME AND SET UP MILLING PLANTS IN ALL TEN PROVINCES. HOWEVER, IF SETTING UP MERE MILLING PLANTS WILL TAKE A YEAR TO MATERIALIZE THEY ARE NOT WORTH A WHILE.
That is the best way for Zambia. There will be two types of mealie meal. Expensive mealie meal from Zambian Companies and cheap ones from the chinese. The people will have a choice.
Ifintu ni Lungu bane
The Chinese built the stadiums but the don’t run them, who said they will be running the milling companies they are coming to set up milling companies period, but seriously i don’t like the chinese but Zambia is a beggar and beggars have no choice, to be honest Zambia needs china more than China needs Zambia.
I totally agree. I am quite disappointed. This is marginalizing Zambians. Me and group of friends were looking at setting a mid size milling company. With the heavily financed and subsidized Chinese this is not possible. We won’t be able to compete.
It is very clear why certain people are poo pooling this initiative. It seems they are upset bcoz ECL has accomplished what other presidents have failed to do in past: TO TAKE THE ISSUE OF “MEALI MEAL” OFF THE TABLE AS A CAMPAIGN SLOGAN ONCE AND FOR ALL!
This issue of “expensive nshima” has been used as a political weapon for far too long and it is about time someone did something about it. Now we all can move on to other equally important areas such as education and health care.
I commend ECL to have taken this initiative because, as Zambians, we have failed ourselves on this one. The so called Zambian businessmen/women appear comfortable with the status quo so they can continue to unfairly profit on the backs poor Zambians—let the Chines come and balance things out!
Ka Lungu- this is not the answer to Zambia’s problems!! This is how useless we are as Zambians. Can’t we set up these companies ourselves? This is the real problem Kaminamisa Lungu is supposed to be addressing. Why aren’t local Zambians able to set up these companies and what is he doing about it??
Zambia will forever be run by foreigners who take all the wealth while locals continue to wallow in poverty.
In fact what would reduce prices is lowering production costs.
Brickforce wire, my thoughts exactly! Chemicals will be added to the mealie meal. Does anyone remember the story of the Chinese giving ARVs to chickens to plump them up. Would the Chinese govt take Zambians to China to go and produce their rice? Only as labourers!
How on earth does this government expect to reduce the cost of mealie meal? Most bloggers have attributed the cost of mealie meal to the high cost of inputs. Right now the $ to Kwacha exchange rate is very high. This has an impact on the production of maize because we import some if not most of the agricultural inputs. So how does the govt expect the cost of mealie meal to go down because the Chinese are coming?
why are you guys complaining,what kind of pride is this the chinese are willing to help with the milling you are complaing,cheap furniture in china you dont complain ,your wifes hair you dont complain ,car parts you dont complain if your job is to search for news everyday on LT just to disagree with everything ..then i suggest you yourself join politics and make a difference viva EL
Just go back home, the plummeted kwacha & rotting economy are waiting.
Leading the country via the internet has become a norm with Lungu.
Tiye, kwacha yagwa, economy yagwa vintu va Lungula imwe are visionless Lungu.
The Skeleton Key
~206~
Look here you maggots. Lets face it, you are more of talkers than doers and whether you like it or not, the issues surrounding the economy will not change on their own by mere ranting.
The problem that we have is not Government, NO, its people like you who expect Government to do everything for you.
For instance, most of you condemning the wise decision by Government to engage our Chinese brothers to put up milling plants (not to run them) have no clue of farming. I got a very good paying job and I do farming as my business for extra income and I don’t remember buying mealie meal from someone because I take my own maize to be milled in whatever form (breakfast or roller) and I dont even know the price a 25kg bag.
So be part of solution instead of opposing everything atase!!
Milling is the kind of business that should be strictly for Zambian investors while more sophisticated hi-tech and capital intensive industries should go for local/foreign partnerships. It is understandable that the PF would like to reduce the price of mealie meal as quickly as possible before 2016 elections but this method will deprive investment opportunities for locals. Anyway, we are now 51 years old and we are still unable to produce enough mealie meal to feed ourselves.
No you look here @secret code. You may have a well paying job and own a farm but that gives you no right to look down on others who are struggling. Fact is this government is inept and incapable of thinking outside the box. How about tendering construction to ZAMBIAN firms? these are milling plants for f**ks sake not space stations, the capacity is there. This is how progressive governments empower their people and create employment. Not getting excited about Chinese coming to built for you.
My other concern is who runs these milling plants and what happens to the private sector. Something tells me the implications have not been thought through, I beg to be educated by someone that might be in the know.
Secret Code
Kapotwe has done justice. Its not about you who is doing well, but the majority poor Zambians suffering from attribution of hunger. So is diseases due to poor sanitation.
Kapotwe, well done, Secret Code only thinks of personal belly, failing to resolve that, there many people suffering poverty in the country. Our checks & balances is about making the PF to work hard. Without accountability, PF will continue sleeping, but they are been shaken up in the view of falling Kwacha & melting economy.
Secret Code, why are you not interested in the fallen Kwacha, economy & costs of life currently has Zambia?
The Skeleton Key
~206~
The best president this side of the equator,the man we had all been waitin for ladies and gentlemen
For sure it should take a dull character like you to be waiting for a president selling away you jobs. No wonder you have same line of argument everyday on every positing.
Everything it’s Chinese!! Am sure soon we will fail to cook Nshima in our homes and the Presido would have to go to China and sign agreements for chinese to cook nshima for us.
In school we were taught that you cannot brag being intelligent until your results confirm it. To all of you condemning the hard working Chinese brothers, please show us in deeds what you can do better than them. For God’s even the small percentage 0f 20% that you are given on major contracts, you fail to perform! Immediately you are paid, you go marry three wives and go buying second hand vehicles on the net whilst the serious guys (Chinese) adhere and fulfill the contracts terms even without upfront payments.
So the soar grapes will not change, first change your attitude and approach to life otherwise there is nothing wrong in working with serious people like Chinese. Why do you think China is now the biggest economy today, they work hard and we can only learn from them!
There you go signing away our beloved country. Who will own these companies? The Chinese?
Why can you not empower citizens to own milling companies? You are killing Zambian businesses as they can never complete with the Chinese who have massive pockets.
On this one, you have regressed. I am afraid you will give away our country as you are not clever enough to see the wood from the trees.
Whatever agreements you sign should only be valid during your term of office (1 year +).
I am disappointed with you Mr. Lungu.
Guys lets be sincere in the way we conduct or just condemn things. Has anyone stopped a native Zambian from participating in the economic affairs of our country? Lets just accept and do what we best know, womanizing, showing off, buying second hand vehicles and drinking beer.
When others who understand business and do what they mean, we become petty and jealous. Look here, how long has Zambia been mining minerals for example? Which Zambian can stand up today and point at one mine they own, nothing yet we continue blaming others.
The same applies to youth unemployment, instead of people being innovative, they want to be in white collar jobs. When others are in the bush looking for wealth, you laugh at them and when they develop such places, you start witch hunting, its a self curse.
This is not good news at all, Mr President. You are asking Chinese people to be milling bunga for us. Really, Mr President, you want China to take over the production of our bunga. What will Zambians run in this economy? PF please do not destroy the spirit of Zambians this much, yes play around with the kwacha value, that will be fixed, but not to kill all entrepreneurial avenues as it were. How to you account for your failure to ask Chinese to sell these machines to Zambians through a govt granted scheme? Is it that you do not understand the implications of giving Chinese people to take over the production of Bunga for our next generation? Do you want Zambia to have issues with foreigners in future?
A lot of Zambians are able to set-up these simple milling companies. e.g. GBM. The scale of these milling companies will be small and little capital will be required. Do we have to beg from China? Remember China has 1.4 billion people and are thus eager to discongest. Lungu has high charactoristics of ignorance and desparation. But he is inviting problems in this country that will take decades to solve. These Chinese we are bringing into Zambia in large numbers are selfish and racists.
But mealie meal from Zambian companies has always been expensive despite the abundance of maize. This is what EL is trying to address.
Ifigayo tamuli mu Zambia, kulolela China bakalete… Crap investment
No need posting a different message……..
Honestly speaking, this whole nshima, nsima being staple food is a waste of time. Seriously people, cant you try other food staffs such as Sweet potatoes, Irish potatoes, pasta, rice, bread, etc, etc., to eat with your chicken, beef, pork? Why is Africa so scared of trying new things. Its the same with technology. Do things differently. Its maize this, nsima this, price of maize meal this and that.
To the ladies, please tell those husbands of yours that cant live without tasting their nshima to cook for themselves. I think its ridiculous to have nshima everyday, sometimes even twice a day. Try new food stuffs. You have Food Lovers, Shoprite, Woolies food, Pick n Pay, Spar, etc and yet you still want to stick to hard porridge (nsima)?
You will find that other African countries have variety. It is mostly the SADC region where nshima is the number one weapon of choice to combat hunger.
In Nigeria, for example, they will eat anything, and everything. They will mix fish, chicken, eggs and okra in the same pot (not pleasing on the eye). And they can have that with fufu, pounded yam, rice, pounded rice, potatoes etc. etc. But in Zed, there is only one way.
This is embarrassing to say the least..Chinese people coming ALLL the way to come and set up a mealie meal plan, our staple food sure…we might as well give the country to China..this is ridiculous…
What significantly reduces the price of Ubunga is the into mill price of Maize.
Lazy thinking indeed….even a milling plant you need to outsource help…please just comeback…instead of diversifying our diet this empty tin is still thinking about outdated policies.
You were complainig on the prices of meals ,let those who knows how to do it come . Because you yourselves has failed to feed yourselves let chinese come. Look your population ,loot china population but fail even to have gardens in your yard . Lazy Zambians ,STOP NOISE.
The point is that mealie meal is just too expensive for the majority of Zambians. I believe massive production will reduce the selling price. Its just that simple. Empowering a few Zambians to invest in this simple industry will only benefit a few individuals who end up amassing much profits and end up buying cars worth $260,000 as birthday presents. So China man will produce ubunga cheaply and alot of Zambians will have ubwali pa table and their dogs wont starve too! Lungu is on the right path.
What can you do when you already sold National Milling to foreigners. So don’t know Bunga you have been eating is grinded by foreigners. Even your Sugar in Nakambala Banda sold it to South African. You drink Chibuku and Mosi who produce them? Zambia was long before economical colonized, a rose in candle like ( Princess Diana´s farewell song on her burial). Zambia is a demise country. The land you are selling to foreigner when your friends are protecting their own since they know these are future disputes and programmed conflicts. I fail to understand why Zambians don´t like to empower fellow Zambian. Ka Muzungu ani Konde and jealousy have driven us that far. Instead of community face lifting for everyone, we want to applaud one individual. A very sad situation indeed.
Empower zambians not chinses. GBM, EN and HH and good examples of businessmen and women. HH has shown the way-massive investments in the beef and farming industry.
This what happens if a leader who never managed a business before.
How many times have the Chinese brought failed products in the country? Can some one remember those bicycles called choppers which were breaking at the slightest impact? Can one remember those cheap vehicles which turned Zambia police into scrap yards? The Chinese are good at making money from poor nations led by stupid leaders like Lungu. They never make back up plans or spares. Once they commission their equipment, that will be the end they will even change names of the company. If ever they will bring these equipment, they will only become white elephants. Where is dinosaur Chikwand to advise this useless man against becoming too excited. Why can’t ZNs advice this man about their failed sewing projects because of cheap sewing machines which never worked?
it is a shame for people to even call this a state visit when he only met the Chinese president for less than one hour and he has spent all the time window shopping for cheap products. How many deals did he conclude with the president? It is a shame that the president has made himself a sales representative of these Chinese companies with fake ISO certificates hanging on their factory walls. Can some one give this man a book called ” made in China” for him to understand more about the Chinese business ethics?
perhaps he just wanted to learn a few things from the Chinese on how to fertilize vegetables using raw faecal matter. Oh yes, the Chinese use their untreated faeces in their vegetable farms. Is that why he took Lubinda with?
We have all seen and read the fruits of H.E. ECL’s visit to China, close $1 Billion dollars in our country. What has your so called economist and Under Five achieved in UK? £100,000 and you call that a trip worth making by a business man? Be real, The $1 Billion dollars that is earmarked to be invested in Zambia can easily become $10 Billion dollars when we work smartly.
Time to be traditional is long gone and only the smartest will get things happening. It has take Mr. Obama two terms in office to try and correct the unemployment puzzle in the US and am sure Mr. Lungu will certainly deliver, watch the space.
Maureen and Hakaivotela Heka must just concentrate on the affair instead lying to the dull UPND chaps.
as someone mentioned before the problem is not the mills but the growing of crops and distribution….which should spend more im agriculture i would have been happy if this was a nice big direct investment into agriculture……and honestly we should be able to build our own mills i wonder what GRZ is doing with our taxes
Chinese built a Milling plant in Chingola and it failed due to poor quality machines.
Its a pity most of us Zambians have a short memory so we will give them more money for rubbish again .
Who will own these companies? Chinese! Where will the profits go? China! Who will work in these companies? Chinese of course with some Zambians who will be made to work for nothing. How do you expect HH and GBM to make mealing companies everywhere when the same government tries at all costs to take them out business. If Zambians do business themselves, all the profits remain and are utilized within zambia eventually making our Kwacha stronger. Shouldn’t we even be proud that we process our own staple food! What’s wrong with these people?
That is an unthordoxical way of solving issues. Assist the people with farm inputs to grow enough maize first. Let the locals put up the mills and assist them where possible. Unless Zambians are very lazy, and i don’t think so, the govt should always give the locals the first priority before rushing abroad. I wonder whether Lungu was serious as this a very arkward approach.
Pres. EL and group know what they want for zambians but they don’t know how to make it work. seting up milling plants in all the provinces will not bring the price of mealie meal down.
There is something wrong with our governance setup, the people we have put in parliament to pass laws and make decisions on our behalf are people appointed on popularity basis and not education this is the source of problems for zambia.
And you haven’t made any suggestion, my foot
I haven’t read a comment that is in line with setting up of mill plants. What I know is that it is easier to criticize that applaud someone.
It is easier to demolish than to build
It is easier to read than to understand what you read
It is easier to oppose than to be supportive
The President said zambia produces alot of maize yet the price of ubunga is high. The solution lies on the part that makes the price to be up. Millers are the culprits in this issue and since govt can’t enforce prices on them, the best is to set up other options to compete with them in order to bring down the price. Agro inputs are heavily subsidized meaning the price should be low.
What factors make the price to go up are the following; and is what President EL should be addressing:
1. Cost of agricultural in puts, solution bring the chinese to manufacture fertilizers locally with proper agreements negotiated
2. Cost of energy should be address to support mechanization of farmers eventual graduate the small scale farmers to intermediate commercial farmers; solution st
3. Stop depending on rain feed agriculture, solution ask China to support irrigation through machines and not setting up Chinese farms in Zambia
4. Link the production to local and international markets; solution used SADC and other regional agreements to have bilateral and multilateral trade agreements for your bunga
Let me stop here since we are advising PF here which is a short term…
Let them cum,coz we ve alot of businessmen who boost 2 ve cash bt at der benefits.They ve even failed 2 put up certain simple Companies lik millings,U selfish n greedy millionaires Shame u jst eager 2 get 2 state house n start chewing 4 da poor zamban pipo shame on u.
My Dear if you have lived in the West you must know that Food is the cheapest and affordable. This includes not the staple food but anything that goes into a human being´s mouth. You cannot tell that Govt cannot regulate the prices of food. That is not true it is lack of commitment and love for everyone. So long my Tammi is full the rest can sleep on empty bellies that is the motto of high food prices.
Zambians who are economic refugees should see an opportunity in this move because these investors now can only do business if they partner with the locals. The fact that we don’t manufacture milling machines is the reason we invite these Chinese so that in the years to come we can start making these machines. Because our nature of being lazy is what makes other people do what we should be doing ourselves. Read all the above comments, everyone is busy criticizing as if anyone of them is a farmer or they have manufuctured a milling plant before.
Zambia is but just a bunch of crooks in the name of business men/women. We cant all be traders. It’s high time we started manufacturing and adding value to our products. This way it is easier to penetrate bigger markets in Europe and usa. How can you boast of being a country of traders busy exporting raw materials and enriching other nations. Don’t you know that by exporting raw materials you create quality jobs for people who have the technology of value addition. I support lungus move and thinking of developing zambia. You can’t develop when you are a bunch of traders exportingraw copper and ququality jobs. Let these things be happening right in zambia. Imagine if we added value to the copper and copper price fall, we still will be making reasonable forex . Think like elites
Once these Chinese start setting up the milling companies I will stop growing maize. No wonder GBM has migrated to SA. Does Lungu think and believe that too many milling companies will reduce price of mealie meal? How about the cost of producing maize? Who will sell their maize cheaper than they cost of production? Some presidents are dull. Secondary school commerce teaches you how cost of production affects prices
@23 Spongy Bob. You have just hit nail. Millers are culprit. They tell govt not to participate so that they are left to milk customers. EL is very intelligent. Do not argue with them or control prices but create competition with them. Next is FRA to not only keep strategic maize reserves but to own milling plants and participate in mealie meal value chain. This is what Grain Marketing Board (GMB) of Zimbabwe does. FRA buys 50Kg bag of maize at $10 from farmers but miller buy from FRA at $7 and keep price of 25kg mealie meal at $9. Miller buy 50kg of maize at $6 from poor farmers and still sells 25kg mealie meal at $9. This is the problem with GBM and company. So EL approach is just the start to reduce price of mealie meal in Zambia.
DON’T MIX POLITICS WITH BUSINESS. This same business people are the same people who want to hold on to everything , even if the goverment offloads subsidised maize, still mealers cant reduce the price, CHIWAMILA GALU KULUMA MBUZI, Were good at talking, all they want is to pindown the goverment , and most of this people they have never felt it the way a villager struggles to have food on table. Lets be realistic, lets not be smart for nothing.
Ba PF fikopo sana…! Its not the setting up of milling plants in all the 10 provinces that will reduce the prices of ubunga, no!
1. There must be a govt political will power of subsidizing the processes that lead to the growing of maize upto production level before the finished product called ubunga comes out.
2. There must be a price decontrol of the floor price of maize
3. Embark on massive sensitization to the masses on the need to diversify from maize dependence to say rice, millet etc…
We have milling plants in Luska, c’belt,northern,southern,central and the question is : Is ubunga cheap?
So without proper political will power, these 10 milling plants will be a sheer waste of time, space, resources and will just land some people in deep trouble as a result of…
Ine nalikwata ichigayo boi,so whetha thoz chinese nigaz com or not,I dont give a fukc
Even for milling companies you need help … Zambia please stop the beggars mentality, a milling company, chigayo … u need chinese, awe I give up!
One thing remains unacertain to me in Zambia. Once the maize is harvested, what transpires there between to make the flour costly? Is it the cost of power/diesel or whatever means they use that is that is highly charged? That underlying factor must be addressed by the govt. If its unnecessary greed by the millers, then the issue has to be sorted out. Is it the price of maize that is too high. There is more than meets the eye here. Address the main factor first before rushing for more milling plants from China.
@ kandolo
If you dont understand the bunga business just stay away. Given lubinda was insulted by you same magots for advising millers to reduce the price. Today govt has decided to take a bold approach to mealie meal price reduction which will result in keeping it lower for manys years . The president is working on the promises he made to the people of zambia and in just less than 3months he has done almost half of his promises.
@31 Chanda Chilengu
It is you who is actually dull not PF.
Millers in all 10 provinces are run by private individuals.
Milling companies EL is talking about will be managed by Zambia National Service- an agriculture wing of Zambia Army. This is the difference that comes with this initiative. They will be growing Maize and buy if need arise from FRA but will meal and sell to Zambians at price affordable. Already Superior milling is smelt the threat and is reducing prices. Come July August, price of mealie meal will be half of what is being sold at now. We do not want to be taken for fools by the likes of GBM. GBM milling company is slowly dying. Arizona trucks have no business. They are catching fire so that he claims from insurance. No more government contracts. Game over.
If Zambians are partners in this business, well and good. Should we be spectators then we have lost it. Every spare part will be coming from China…
Any one knows how the Chinese Chigayo in Chingola is doing?
China this, China that,!!!! Where is the independence when China is supposed to fund everything? Every African head of state goes to China to beg. Why then did these nationalists chase the British way only to go on their knees to beg from China?
You see, This is where the problem is. Zambians can do this and handover to GRZ. GBM & group are there to help.They have done it before…
Imbwa ya muntu GBM. Milking and boosting,
It is over. through EL sanity is coming back
When you filish and dall president, you end up in such situation! This dall president is very simplistic!