Lusaka Province Minister, Sheal Mulyata says the region has sufficient stocks of mealie meal.
Speaking to the media in Chongwe today shortly after concluding an impromptu tour of selected milling plants to check on production of mealie meal, Ms Mulyata said she is impressed that millers in the province are producing enough mealie meal.
Ms Mulyata said she happy to learn that millers in the province are running at full capacity.
She said Pembe Milling Limited and African Milling Limited of Lusaka are producing 560 tonnes and 420 tonnes of mealie meal per day respectively while Eagle Milling under the Zambia National Service (ZNS) in Chongwe is producing 40 tonnes of mealie meal per day for both roller and breakfast.
“Am happy to inform you that as a province, millers in the area are producing enough mealie meal for the consumers in the area,” said Ms Mulyata.
Ms Mulyata said there is no need for consumers to buy mealie meal in bulk because there is no looming shortage of the commodity.
“There are some reports that some retailers in Lusaka Province are holding on the mealie meal after buying from millers hence creating an artificial shortage and I want to warn those involved that Police will soon visit them,” she warned..
Ms Mulyata encouraged millers in the province to continue producing more mealie meal for the local people.
And Pembe Milling Operations Manager, Taib Bajaber said the company is releasing 18 trucks everyday apart from Sundays to deliver mealie meal to various destinations in the province.
Mr Bajaber said there is not need for the people in Lusaka to panic because there is enough mealie meal being offloaded on the market.
And African Milling Managing Director, Rehan Zakaria assured the minister that his company will continue producing more mealie meal for the consumers in the province.
Mr Zakaria said African Milling is running at full capacity and is releasing enough stocks of mealie meal every day.
“As African Milling Limited, we are running at full capacity producing enough stocks of mealie meal,” said Mr. Zakaria.
Some parts of country are experiencing artificial shortage of mealie meal due some retailers and transporters who are allegedly smuggling the commodity to the neighbouring countries. .
2023 60 years after independence and we still struggling to feed ourselves….shame on our greedy and corrupt leaders
and what is shocking me is that these milling companies are headed and run by foreigners?
Under 5 **** economics have caused mealie meal shortages
This is should not be necessary… inspection of milling companies. Madam you are comfortable so you don’t see what is happening. Millers have forecast a shortage of maize caused by your exportation of commodity to Kenya and late/poorly done delivery of farming inputs. They are holding onto what they have so that they don’t struggle when the real scarcity dawns.
The UPND government are not under-estimating PF members’ capacity to create mealie meal shortage problems for the HH administration. But that will not be allowed to happen. As for millers, there’s is to sell to licensed retailers such as Shoprite and the like. Millers have a vested interest in ensuring that peace and order prevails in Zambia. They hold business licences from the Zambian state and they a duty to account to the state. No doubt they will cooperate and they should know that many eyes are watching them.
Gunner in Zambia… blaming PF is a waste of time. The root cause of the problem is what I have explained. I live on the copperbelt and sometimes visit the Luapula Province. The taking of mealie meal has always been “normal”. We have projected a poor harvest coupled with depleted stocks. Maize like any commodity can shake the markets. That’s all there’s to it… not ifyo at PF can cause the shortages.
and what is shocking me is that these milling companies are headed and run by foreigners?
This finger pointing will not help. Failing to feed the nation is a recipe for leadership change. If elections were held today, HH would lose big time. He is playing with people’s emotions. Too much talk and no action.
@ Anderson
Imagine so Zambians can’t even run or operate milling companies…if you go to Livingstone almost all Lodges are owned and operated by foreigners…the Government finds it very easy to offer land to foreigners than Zambians…I don’t get it….