opening of the first joint Pan-African Grain Legume and World Cowpea
Conference currently being held at AVANI Victoria Falls Hotel. Picture
by Jeffrey Oliver
Minister of Agriculture Given Lubinda has threatened to suspend the subsidised maize supply contract for Choma Milling, if it does not reduce the price of mealie-meal.
Mr. Lubinda says the reduction of the price of mealie-meal should be done immediately.
The Minister issued the ultimatum today in Mazabuka , when he made an impromptu visit to a Choma Milling branch.
Mr Lubinda found that Choma Milling is selling a 25 kilogramme bag of breakfast mealie-meal at 79 kwacha.
ZANIS reports that upon finding out this, Mr. Lubinda immediately made a phone call to one of the managers at the milling company, to issue the directive for the reduction of mealie-meal prices.
Mr Lubinda dismissed transport costs, as reasons for selling the commodity at 79 Kwacha, arguing that the milling company should instead concentrate on supplying their commodity to Choma.
Mr. Lubinda is in Mazabuka to officially kick-start the Sugar cane farming season at Nakambala Sugar Estate.
Lubinda you are just like the hole on the backside of your body that just spits rubbish. Power cost have gone up by 40% to make the same mealie meal. you want the company to go bankrupt we musul.a iwe. Then who will make the mealie meal. let them stop using diesel.
Thanks
Iwe mambala, no one is forcing Choma milling to CONTRACT with a Govt entity (the FRA) in order to access maize. If Choma Milling does not like, agree, or accept the conditions attached to these contracts, they are free to access maize on the open market and thereafter they are free to sale their mealie meal at any price they choose. But what Choma Milling (or any other Miller accessing subsidized maize from the FRA/Govt) can’t do is ignore the conditions under which the contract was issued—CONTRACTS SHOULD MEAN SOMETHING IF ZAMBIA HAS ANY CHANCE AT ALL TO ENTER THE 21st CENTURY AS A CIVILIZED AND A COUNTRY OF LAWS—Because a CONTRACT is just as BINDING as the LAW itself—Start ignoring contracts and CHAOS will reign!
@1 MILLING COMPANIES ENTERED INTO A CONTRACT WITH THE GOVERNMENT TO SOURCE SUBSIDIZED MAIZE IN ORDER FOR THE MILLERS TO PRODUCE AFFORDABLE MAIZE MEAL SO THAT EVEN ORDINARY AND POOR PEOPLE CAN AFFORD TO HAVE AT LEAST A MEAL A DAY. IT IS CRIMINAL TO SELL THE ITEM OTHERWISE AND MILLERS SHOULDN’T EVEN BE WARNED BUT PROSECUTED
“Mr. Lubinda is in Mazabuka to officially kick-start the Sugar cane farming season at Nakambala Sugar Estate.” SO EVERY SEASON THEY HAVE TO JUST KICK-START IT? THAT’S DANGEROUS AS IT MEANS IT CAN’T START WITHOUT KICK-STARTING IT.
@ CAT POWER SURELY WHATS WRONG WITH THAT DIRECTIVE. ARE YOU A ZAMBIAN OR WHAT. ITS AN ORDINARY ZAMBIAN TO BENEFIT FROM SUCH BRAVE MOVE. THINK BEFORE YOU POST SOMETHING YOU IMBECILE.
PLEASE DONT TAKE PLEASURE IN SUPPRESSING YOUR FELLOW COUNTRY MEN AND WOMEN. GROW UP
Is Choma Milling a govt milling plant? How can a govt minister determine or decide where Choma milling should concentrate their business???? Does PF really understand the economic system they have embraced??
Government has the right cos they provide them with subsidised maize
KINDLY REFER TO @PETER 1.1- HE HAS HIGHLIGHTED THE REASONS BEHIND SUCH AN ORDER.
The same problem Trade Kings is having in the production of its products is the same reason these mealers are facing in the production of mealie-meal bo Lubinda. Just don’t intimidate mealers for the sake of appeasing electorates
YOU CAN NOT FORCE TO BRING DOWN THE PRICE WHEN PRODUCTION COSTS ARE HIGH. BO LUBINDA JUST DO BASIC ECONOMICS. YOU WANT TO SHOW THAT YOU ARE CONCERNED BY INGNORING THE BASICS.
REALLY YOU GUYS— IF YOU CAME INTO POWER IN THE MOST UNLIKELY CIRCUMSTANCE, IS THAT THE PICTURE OF THE TYPE OF GOVERNMENT YOU WANT. MILLERS EXPLOITING ORDINARY ZAMBIANS, CONDONING RIOTOUS BEHAVIOR SHOULD WE CALL IT ‘MAPATIZYA TYPE OF GOVERNANCE’. IN NO WAYS, NO WONDER PATRIOTIC ZAMBIANS ARE DETERMINED TO GO AND VOTE EN-MASS FOR ECL ON 11/08/16. OVER 80% PATRIOTIC FRONT STRONGHOLDS WILL USE NEGA NEGA FORMULA. THINKS FOR HAVING TAUGHT US THAT LESSON.
REALLY YOU GUYS— IF YOU CAME INTO POWER IN THE MOST UNLIKELY CIRCUMSTANCE, IS THAT THE PICTURE OF THE TYPE OF GOVERNMENT YOU WANT. MILLERS EXPLOITING ORDINARY ZAMBIANS, CONDONING RIOTOUS BEHAVIOR SHOULD WE CALL IT ‘MAPATIZYA TYPE OF GOVERNANCE’. IN NO WAYS, NO WONDER PATRIOTIC ZAMBIANS ARE DETERMINED TO GO AND VOTE EN-MASS FOR ECL ON 11/08/16. OVER 80% PATRIOTIC FRONT STRONGHOLDS WILL USE NEGA NEGA FORMULA. THANKS FOR HAVING TAUGHT US THAT LESSON.
Just go and sleep with mother you 1diot James. you have no understanding of running business in harsh economies
iwe ci lubinda amalaiti nayadula.go en make yo own miling company
its a weekend. he just needs somting for weekend
Bane Don’t Blame Lubinda We Must Understand & Respect His Office &appreciate The Services Of His Ministry.The Fact Is Price Is Too High On Mealie-meal, Some Milling Plants Are Not Doing Well It Seems Are Against Govt.
Lubinda WARNS, Kambwili WARNS, Lungu WARNS, Bwalya WARNS, Kaingu WARNS, Chama WARNS, Mumbi WARNS……every leader in PF warns. What happens to the art or science of finding solutions to problems instead of warning? Warnings are a sign of one not having the capacity to think.
I DON’T AGREE WITH YOUR CONCLUSION. THE WAY PARENTS WARN THEIR SCHOOL GOING CHILDREN ON THE DANGERS OF PLAYING TOO MUCH, ACCORDING TO YOUR BASE ANALYSIS IS ‘a sign of one not having the capacity to think’.
BE CALM, THESE ARE JUST POLITICS.
Gov’t is there to protect and provide for citizens. They warn, because they ARE authority.
The company must honur its contract with the gov’t to ride common people with affordable Maize Meal. It’s a duty they must rake seriously. If it us visiting them more they should re-negotiate their contract not just respond to market circles according to their will. But, having said that, K79 works out as roughly £5.26 if I use the last rate When I was in Lusaka. A 25 KILOGRAMME bag of breakfast mealie-meal at 79 kwacha (£5.26) is a very good deal at the UK standard of Living!! You would never buy that big a bag of Rice, at that Price here!!! I went to Wholefoods to buy an organic bag of Italian White Maize Meal, 500g and paid £2.99. Same size of rice, bags sold in groceries!!
Oh dear modern technology! It should read……
The company must honour its contract with the gov’t to provide common people with affordable Maize Meal. It’s a duty they must take seriously. If it is costing them more they should re-negotiate their contract not just respond to market forces!!
@Patriot Abroad:
Come on – don’t talk or blogg like the failed politician Lubinda. You live in the UK where I am working from at the moment. I don’t quite get you when you say “honour the contract.”
There are many other inputs that go into producing mealie-meal and maize is just one of them. You need other vital inputs like Electricity, Labour, Transport, etc. The cost of electricity has gone up by 400% since Oct 2015 and so has the cost of transport and salaries by at least 50%. So Choma Milling has to pass on these costs otherwise the company will collapse sending all of its employees on the unemployed streets!
Lubinda is NOT educated although he poses as an intellectual. I know him well – I know he doesnt even have a genuine Form5 certificate to even grasp economics issues or…
@Patriot Abroad cont’d:
……..grasp economics issues or concepts. Lubina worked for Chikuni Jam export factory (owned by Catholics) where stole money and the company collapsed – let me not say too much BUT I think you have got the gist of my thoughts. That chap is a crook – dont be deceived
bweshako umutengo,terms and conditi0ns apply.
Kudos to an insightful and perspicacious minister. Choma milling had reduced the price of bunga.
A WORKING, LISTENING, CARING GOVERNMENT!