The US funded Famine Early Warning Systems Network (FEWSNET) says poor households continue to experience reduced purchasing power because of the high maize and meal prices.
FEWSNET says after some stability in maize meal prices, the start of the lean season across parts of the country has resulted in a rise in maize meal prices as demand for industrially processed meal picks up.
It says meal prices are about 25% and 60% above the previous season and the five-year average, respectively.
FEWSNET says these high price levels for meal are being driven by high maize grain prices.
It observed that the export ban has been indefinitely extended because the Food Reserve Agency (FRA) was not able to reach its purchase goal of 500,000 MT of maize for the strategic grain reserves.
In order to meet this goal, a tender had been issued for the purchase of 220,000 MT of maize grain, but the response has been less than favorable and they are still unlikely to meet the target.
Meanwhile the government has reiterated that the export ban will continue until the FRA meets its target to ensure the country’s food security.
Despite the continued export ban, informal exports into Malawi and the DRC will continue to sustain high local prices and reduce consumer purchasing power.
In Chipata, maize grain prices increased by 47% between September and November due to increasing demand in Malawi.
Although Minimal (IPC Phase 1) acute food insecurity outcomes are likely to continue in most parts of the country during the outlook period, between the end of November/December Stressed (IPC Phase 2) outcomes are likely to set in in a few areas in the southeast and southwest as poor households continue to experience reduced purchasing power because of the high maize and meal prices.
For now, livestock continues to be in mild to poor condition due to poor pastures and limited access to water, but this should improve once the seasonal rains are established.
Land preparation for the 2016/17 season continues while input acquisition from the market is ongoing. Fertilizer for the Government Input Support program has reached districts, but the delivery of seeds and administrative funding challenges is delaying the distribution.
Of the 105 districts (targeting 1.6 million farmers), 39 districts are expected to receive e-vouchers. Despite the program delays, since many farmers benefited greatly from the good prices that they received from their 2015/16 crop sales, they should be able to acquire agricultural inputs for the upcoming season on time.
The poor won’t manage to buy….the rich will smuggle out hence keeping purchasing power very high…….
will sing dununa regret…
Purchasing power is getting low, not high. Purchasing power reflects the ability to buy something. In other words, poor Zambians will be starving soon because they cannot afford mealie meal whose price is becoming too high. Any wonder that Zambia is the third hungriest country in the world? All this is happening during the reign of a supposedly pro-poor party!
The so called poor should start farming for consumption. In they think by a miracle HH becomes president and will give them free food, they will be in for a shock. I have just finished planting my maize and it has germinated.
The uncontrolled export or is it smuggling is what has caused these maize prices to skyrocket. Some people are maximizing profits at the expense of their own fellow Zambians.
Since PF are issuing export permits to their lackeys, you should know who is selfish.
75% of the harvest goes to waste because of poor storage facilities by FRA.
Mediocre successive Governments have prioritized construction of urban roads (becoz it’s easier to steal) instead feeder roads & Grain Silos near high grain producing areas.
This biased development attracts would-be farmers especially from N/E-Rhodesia to migrate to urban areas in N/W Rhodesia where they find themselves compounds unemployed & wallowing in abject poverty. In the end they spill into town-centre as street vendors, bus- conductors, beggars, pick-pockets, drunkards, dagga-smoking etc.
There can be no development without cheap basic food. Chinese products are cheap bcoz food in China is cheap. Even if employers underpay workers, they can afford a decent meal.
While agreeing with you, it was not successive govts. MMD was very restrained about guitar construction. That’s why PF found $3.2 billion that Sata and Nsanda started to loot by moving RDA to State House. The total blame is on PF, and not previous covers. Zambia in fact became a middle class country in 2010 but PF has reversed that miracle into the current disaster.
That’s what happens when you have drunkard president to run affairs of the nation . Everything is confused in this country because of chakolwa Lungu. We as Ngoni loyal establishment find this high meal mill prices as disturbing as a chief advisor to the paramount chief all Ngonis are not happy. We are all saying that you are the worst president of this nation in the history. Matako ! Machende!
Maloza u are right.
Do not trust any program that a White man brings to you. These would never want Africa to be developed. Anything they bring to you is make you worse than you were before they came
Maybe you need to elaborate what you mean by what you have written. The article is talking about the high cost of living, or is it high standard of living, to borrow Dr. CK’s words. Is it a lie that the cost of mealie meal is too high for the average majority Zambians?
The white man is not bringing any program here. It is simple report about what is going on in Zambia regarding mealie meal and maize. Don’t blame the messenger just because you want to bury your head under the same. You should not hide hunger because soon you will be crying to the same white man for food relief and donations.
The poor will get more poorer to any extent of failing to buy a pamela and the rich will get more richer,at the end they ll say a party for the poor kwisa….
Let the poor buy Pamela.We will be buying bags.Let the *****s suffer.
Let them eat cake with Lungu. After all it is their boma doing this to them.
Who is that in the photo? Is that Junior kudos? Always dumping his litter at his grandma’s place, he too busy dancing to dununa reverse.
In the US,they call them “BIG MOMMA”….The daughter is likely a “Baby Momma” who is working 2-3 jobs to support herself.The Grandma raises the child like her own in the mothers absence.
The guy is nowhere to be seen and probably hustling in the streets…
Lungu has not made Malawi not to have enough rains. We even know that demand for maize is still very high in our country because of Malawi, Zimbabwe, Mozambique and Congo
Lungu has increased the number of seeds and fertilizer given to small scale farmers and he has given them tractors. Nawakwi was giving seeds. What has your kachema done?