Zambia’s opposition Leadership Movement is urging the government to intervene and address the rising cost of mealie meal, a staple food in the country. Party President Richard Silumbe is concerned that despite promising Zambians reduced cost of goods and services while in opposition, the UPND in government has failed to fulfill its promise as evidenced by the skyrocketing mealie meal prices, with a 25kg bag of breakfast meal selling as high as K200 in some areas.
Addressing the media in Lusaka this morning, Dr. Silumbe advised the government to come to the aid of millers by creating an enabling environment to ensure they reduce the price of the commodity. He suggested that the government help millers reduce the cost of production by relieving them from paying certain taxes and reducing the cost of fuel and electricity. Dr. Silumbe also questioned why mealie meal prices should continue rising when the country has plenty of maize.
The rising cost of mealie meal is not the only economic concern currently facing Zambia. The Bankers Association of Zambia (BAZ) has warned that any further delays to resolve the country’s debt situation by the second quarter of this year will exert extra pressure on the kwacha and inflation among other economic factors. Association President Leonard Mwanza stated that much of how Zambia’s economy will shape up this year is hinged on resolving the debt situation quickly, including ending load-shedding to restore productivity in the wake of the Russia/Ukraine war and the global recession.
Despite these challenges, the banking sector in Zambia had a satisfactory year in 2022, with institutions maintaining capital adequacy provisions, asset quality at its second year best and profitability showing improvement in the third quarter of the year. Mr. Mwanza attributes this to fiscal stability, inflation being lower than 10 percent, and a stable exchange rate until the year-end pressures crept in to depreciate the kwacha from around K16 to over K18 currently.
Let’s all face reality. The price of fertiliser is above K1000.00 since last farming season. FRA was buying maize at above K200 in the last farming season. Surely do we expect mealie to be at the same old price. Even if we say the president promised, that will not ensure continuous supply of maize. We need to increase the price of mealie meal at a price well above K200 so that FRA will offer a good floor price in the coming season to ensure continuous supply of maize.
Mealie meal to sell at 50 Kwacha? Yes people were confident he had a formula…..I remember GBM when he was Upnd VP confirming this because HH was a seasoned farmer and and an astute businessman.
MOST DONT UNDERSTAND THE MEANING OF A FREE ECONOMY
Clueless Bally will get fixed kikiki
I am asking for 300kwacha per 50kg of my maize because I want to recover the money I spent and just a small profit. Therefore I expect the miller also to increase his price. Remember I am not selling to the miller, I am selling to someone who will later sell it to the miller.
Farming is not easy and those calling other people to avoid high mealie meal price by growing their own maize are doing so without considering all the factors.