The Millers Association of Zambia has issued fresh instructions to its members to go ahead and increase prices of mealie meal saying there is no further room for dialogue with Government.
Millers Association of Zambia President Allan Sakala said in an interview that the Millers are not pleased that Agriculture Minister Given Lubinda addressed Parliament on mealie meal prices without giving the Association an audience first.
Mr Sakala said the statement from Mr Lubinda that there is no justification for increases in mealie meal prices are unjustified is insincere.
He said the Millers should be free to cost their products independently since Mr Lubinda has confirmed that Government has no hand in setting prices of commodities.
He said members of the public are free to go and audit the cost input for Millers.
Mr Sakala said the overall cost of production for the Millers has gone up significantly.
And some mealie meal traders in Lusaka have gone ahead and increased the price of the commodity by between K10.00 to K15.00 despite the Millers Association of Zambia putting on hold its planned increase in prices to allow for consultations with government.
A check by Qfm at Kabwata, Chilenje, Kalingalinga and Mutendere Markets revealed that a 25kg bag of breakfast mealie meal is now selling at between K78.00 and K80.00 from K65 and K64 respectively.
A 25 kg bag of roller mealie meal is now selling at K58 from the previous K48 representing an increase of K10.
Meanwhile the Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (CCPC) has noted with concern the Millers Association of Zambia’s continued behavior of agreeing and subsequently announcing the increase in mealie meal prices.
CCPC public relations officer Hanford Chaaba says the conduct violates Section 8 of the Competition and Consumer Protection Act no. 24 of 2010 which is clearly against the idea of concerted practices or decision by players.
Mr. Chaaba says such announcements by the Millers Association signals and creates anticipation which often is unnecessary and contrary to public interest.
He says the Commission will not sit idle but will investigate the matter and where a case is found, punitive measures will be mated out on the Association and its members.
The cost of production has increased. If you want the milling companies to remain afloat its a must the price of the products they produce have to increase. Otherwise you will have more job losses both in the mines and private sector. Then these illiterates you are fooling when they turn on you like they did for Kaunda they wont be scared of a bullet. Only time is holding this situation. Waiting for riots looting and lawlessness at this rate. Bring it on. Popcorn Yeppeee
Didn’t they just tell the nation that increments are ”Global”?why are they intimidating millers?
Go ahead and increase after all they will still buy. Ifintu ni Lungu. Kolopa.com.
where is my comment?
same here…. ifintu ni Lungu kainge.
its here just above mine
bring down the forex rate to K9-k10 per dollar , this is artificial depreciation of kwacha ! and then we wont expect price of mealiea meal gone as high as now .thanx
There is NOTHING artificial. Just try to buy anything and stark REALITY will hit you on the “pocket”!!!
MAZ undermined its own credibility by backing down after PF threatened them. Zambia is a free market economy. There are no price controls. Producers and manufacturers should be able to charge whatever they want – and the buying public should refuse to pay what they deem excessive pricing. That way a market price will be arrived at. PF should not complain because they have been sneering at farming communities as bakachema for most of this year. Let PF and their supporters eat their tuntembas and Eurobonds instead.
Ati Ifintu Ni Lungu. Now I hope our insane brothers and sisters from PF can see what their ignorance has done to this beautiful country. Next time don`t vote out of emotion. Vote out of educated conviction. A kaponya can never run a country later on an economy. Ifintu ni Chishimba Kambwili maybe lol, what a cheap threat from Kambwili. As if he injected capital in the milling companies.. Ati solar powered hammer mills. Ata Kwisa!!!!
So, who is fooling who?
ma rubbish is mealie meal the only food in zambia to politicize it,no wonder we are in southern afirca but we look far much malnourished than any other sadc country
Almost everything has gone up, why can’t millers increase the prices. Just work the sky rocketing kwacha. Ifintu nafilungula. DOGS HAVE STOPPED BITING WHAT IS NOW BITING IS THE ECONOMY.
‘Meanwhile the Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (CCPC) has noted with concern the Millers Association of Zambia’s continued behavior of agreeing and subsequently announcing the increase in mealie meal prices.’
CCPC. What do these I-d-I-o-t-s do?
Oh these people, do they know who Chishimba Kambwili is? He is going to fire them all!
Kambwili has never started a thing and failed, he will dissolve the association… But in the mean aka bunga ni K81.99 mu shoprite
HOW DOES THE KWACHA DEPRECIION AFFECT MILLERS?DO THEY IMPORT THIS MAIZE THEY GRIND INTO MEALIE MEAL?THEY BUY THIS MAIZE FROM GOVERMENT THROUGH FRA AND SOMETIMES EVEN FROM POOR FARMERS HUM THEY EXPLOIT BY BUYING AT A VERY CHEAP PRICE,SO HOW DOES THE KWACHA DEPRECIATION FORCE THEM TO HIKE MEALIE MEAL PRICES.JUST THE OTHER DAY DOCTORS WERE THREATENING TO LEAVE THE COUNTRY FOR GREENER PASTURES KOZ OF KWACHA DEPRECIATION.THATS WHY WE WILL NEVER DEVELOP.
#Kings, I agree with your line of thoughts. I am a farmer who sold my maize to FRA with the understanding that FRA sells to millers. I want to believe that FRA has stock in its sheds as old as 2013, but why should the millers hike mealie meal prices? Yes I know that some of my fellow farmers are selling maize to Zimbabwe at better prices but how should this affect our local millers if they are buying maize from FRA? I am baffled to say the least. ok, what will happen tomorrow when fuel prices are hiked, another raise in mealie meal prices?
The price of spare parts is based on the dollar, Zambia manufactures next to nothing. Those Mills need service parts. With the price of parts rocketing if a mill breaks down that will be it, the millers will not afford to have it fixed based on the current price of meali meal.
Kwacha has lost value… Hope you understand
I don’t like the idea of business associations. This impedes competition and it is the citizen’s who suffer. All forms of cartels should be illegal I don’t know why there is so many of these in Zambia. Competition is good let’s not impede it.
Well, enjoy the PF you voted for!! This can be resolved by voting wisely!
So Ba Lubinda went to speak in Parliament before seating with MAZ officials? This govt, always issuing statements with no real backing.
The PF government a short while ago issued a statement , saying they were procuring solar powered hammer mills in order to bring down the cost of Millie meal. The hammer mills are nowhere to be seen and as usual in the PF manner LIES, LIES and LIES. Just like the ” More Money in your pocket” lies, remember ?
Like our good friend from China, Mr Lee would say ” Just only TALK-OO, You Zambians work withz mouse”
Gentle men you should have deep or even basic understanding of economic issues. What affects the prices of commodities is not only one factor. So to think that because the maize is bought locally then mealie meal must be cheaper is a shallow anayisis of issues. Apart from the cost of spare parts we have fuel costs whose prices were increased recently, load shedding which may either force the millers to resort to alternative means such as use of generators.
Zambians! please! when are we goings to be reasonable? surely, is it profitable to be complaining against interventions by government to reduce the price of mealie meal. What do we really want. You were complaining about the removal of maize subsides and now you are still talking against the measures by PF to alliviate the suffering attributed by increased mealie meal prices. Indeed, we are a difficulty people to handle. Is it because of lack of tracking the past history for us to easily understand the benefits and schemes of the millers. Sad indeed.