The Food Reserve Agency (FRA) and millers in Zambia have agreed to sell mealie meal at an affordable price, following a meeting in Lusaka. The FRA has offloaded over 152,000 metric tonnes of maize to the millers with the intention of reducing the cost of mealie meal. The millers have agreed to price a 25 kg of mealie meal in Lusaka at K160 and in the Copperbelt at K170.
In a press briefing after the meeting, FRA Board Chairperson Kelvin Hambwezya thanked the millers for their cooperation and expressed hope that the price of mealie meal would continue to reduce with further interactions. He called on shops and retailers to reduce the price of mealie meal as well, so that customers can benefit.
So far, the millers have paid for 75,000 metric tonnes of maize and have been instructed to collect it from the nearest FRA depots. The FRA has also sold maize to 33 districts under the rural vulnerable communities to ensure household food security.
At the end of January 2023, the FRA had sold a total of 1,290 metric tonnes of maize. Additionally, the agency has authorized the release of 50,000 metric tonnes of maize to the Disaster Management and Mitigation Unit for relief purposes for households affected by floods.
Kelvin Hambwezya emphasized that Zambia is food secure and there is no need for panic as the country seeks to stabilize the price of mealie meal on the market. The agreement between the FRA and millers is a step in the right direction to ensure that the commodity is sold at affordable prices for Zambian citizens.
Colonial masters though IMF sabotaging Zambians lives, except a few willing self-appointed political leaders of the Haves. Let us see what happens in two three months time. Fathom created by peeing lasts for seconds
Good luck on that; millers and profits, kaya. Before you realize, the bulk of the mealie meal will wind up in the DRC!
I don’t understand why Zambia has a problem with having a large and liquid food market next door. If I were Minister of Agriculture or President of Zambia, I would work like a mad man to maximise returns for Zambia from such a market.
What is affordable? Reducing by a mere ten Kwacha is not affordable. The situation should regulate and dictate itself not by negotiations. Short of subsidies very little else can reduce the price of the commodity. Farmers are not willing to sell to FRA. Farmers are not willing to grow maize. Where does that leave the consumer?
In Opposition Mr Know it all HH thought running a country is kids play…he thought it was as easy as 1..2..3…now he is doing chipante pante…..if it was in UK HH should should have resigned
Talk is cheap ……HH thought he was a genius whilst in opposition….he is a master chimbwi no plan…..
Ati Ba enkonomist
As Zambians lets go in the habit of doing farming and taking maize for milling. I take my maize to Chilenje of Bauleni. I buy 12 bags a year and am covered. 1 bag per month. As such, i never buy wunga from any of these shops
Zambia grows enough maize to meet all internal needs for grain. It’s proper post-harvest storage where we hv a problem. We hv obsolete silos based on technology that no one uses anymore.
We just have to admit we will remain poor till the end of the world…and by the way 5 billion years from today this earth will be non existence….HH is in panic mode he has been exposed as a pathetic serial liar….2026 don’t vote for any Politician…they will end up advising you to drink water when you’re hungry
@Doug Yes it’s okay but remember not all people can afford farming… to start with one must have land on which to farm…. with the encroaching of infrastructure on the bushes where our parents used to have shambas many people cannot make to places like Kamfinsa (Kitwe)…then if you are a house servant who has to start work at six and stop eighteen how are you going to manage. Enter division of labor…we cannot all be farmers.
I like your comment, everyone must think of it.
We have been duped.
Is Zambia back to price controls mechanism like it was in UNIP days? If we are then this measure is short lived, it’s unsustainable as long as the price of fuel remains high and load-shedding is in place. Maize production has become very expensive under the NYUDONI govt, fertilizer under FISP has gone up from K750 to K1,200 per 50Kg bag and you expect bag of mealie-meal to sell at K150? Aikona man!!
Short term agreement.
Just wait Miller’s can’t stick to price
When the demand is high.
The cost of farming inputs its way too high the only way this NEW THING government cant do is to help our farmers by reducing the prices of farming inputs look at a 5kg of maize its about 400 to k550, 50kg fertilizer its tears down my face on top of that FRA put up there price at k150 per 50kg bag selling price of milisi, miliers buy this maize ati very cheap price from the same farmers. this is heart burning.
African stance is well principled. Not just sure whether we can trust our Zambian leaders over this. Their gods seem to live in Washington DC and London
As Zambians become more informed/educated , they need to understand that as long as the cost of farming inputs such as fertiliser, electricity, labour, fuel etc are high the mealiie meal prices don’t go down miraculously.
The government’s role is to ensure these farming inputs are as low as possible. That’s why HH spent a lot energy discussing fertiliser prices, fuel, loadshedding etc