President Hakainde Hichilema of Zambia has assured citizens that the New Dawn government has put in place effective measures to address the issues surrounding mealie meal, a staple food in the country. During a church service interaction at Heroes Stadium in Lusaka, President Hichilema took the time to address the concerns of citizens and assure them that his administration is committed to improving the situation.
“Our assurance to everyone is that we have put measures in place to ameliorate the issue of mealie meal. We encourage you to continue investing in your restaurants and work hard as that is the only way to maintain your source of income,” President Hichilema said. He also expressed happiness about the appreciation of free education delivered by the UPND government and called on citizens to take advantage of market booster loans being offered by CEEC and expand their businesses.
“We are aware of the challenges faced by small businesses, especially in light of the current economic climate. That’s why we are committed to providing the necessary support to help our citizens grow their businesses and create more jobs for our people,” President Hichilema added.
However, not everyone is convinced that the government’s measures will be enough to address the rising prices of mealie meal. The National Association for Smallholder Farmers has expressed frustration with the government’s failure to find a lasting solution to the problem. Association Executive Director Dr. Frank Kayula said: “Stakeholders expect both the government and experts to understand that mealie meal prices can only be stabilized through sustainable long-term measures, not short-term solutions.”
Dr. Kayula criticized the government’s approach to the issue, saying: “The intermittent injection of cheap maize from the Food Reserve Agency to millers is an unsustainable short-term solution that will continue to disadvantage consumers and create constant headaches for the leadership.” He added that the root cause of the high mealie meal prices lies in the expensive maize and chemical fertilizers that contribute to the high cost of production.
“The cost of production for mealie meal is exacerbated by expensive chemical fertilizers which gobble more than 65% of the total costs of maize production, thereby causing high prices for the commodity on the market. The government must address this problem at its core,” Dr. Kayula said.
Despite the concerns expressed by the National Association for Smallholder Farmers, President Hichilema remains optimistic about the future of the economy. “I remain confident that the economic recovery plan put in place will drive the country towards prosperity. My administration remains determined to do whatever it takes to ensure a stable economy,” he said.
Mr President stop campaigning just get on with Bally will fix it we are tired of your stories
LT enough already with the articles about this ugly failure hh. We are tired
60 years after independence and we still struggling to feed ourselves….we should be ashamed as a country
“President Hakainde Hichilema of Zambia has assured citizens that the New Dawn government has put in place effective measures to address the issues surrounding mealie meal, a staple food in the country.”-LT
You can tell the country how well it is by the way its treats Street dogs.
A country that is concerned about the price of CORN corn! How is it going to pay back the IMF?
We need a leader who knows the definition of mobilizing.
Kubeja ba sa.