The Jesuit Centre for Theological Reflection (JCTR) has called on government to continue with the diversification programme in the agriculture sector in order to stabilise the price of mealie meal in the country, and realise a favourable reduction in the commodity.
JCTR has expressed concern with the continued increase in the high price of mealie meal on the local market.
JCTR says the concern has been raised based on the fact that mealie meal is the country’s staple commodity and a further increase will adversely affects the cost of living.
According to a statement made available to ZANIS in Lusaka today by JCTR Social & Economic Development Programme Officer Chanda Chileshe, hunger levels have increased among the poor who do not have the capacity to afford the current high cost of mealie meal.
The statement further noted policymakers need to act on the demand of the people they serve, in order to create a favourable and well managed economy
The Statement also disclosed that the Basic Needs Basket for the month of April for a family of five in Lusaka reduced to K5, 519 from K 5, 543 in March 2019 representing a decrease of K24 which was necessitated by the reduction in the price of charcoal which reduced by K14 from K159 in March to K145 in April per 90 kilogramme bag.
Before youend make the call give us tha costing.
If cost of production is higher then govt must subdsive. PERIOD.
You can not sell lower than production.
The clueless Mr. Edgar Chagwa Lungu said we have enough maize and therefore should continue exporting to DRC. The man has no knowledge of basic economics. I predict K150 for a bag in the near future
People who just wake up and start calling for reduction of maize annoy me. At the same time they cry to the government to buy maize from Farmers at a high price. Allow market forces to play. Allow Farmers to export. Yes there will be shortages but it will make more people to produce more grain. That’s what we call productions. Not you just wake up and start opening your mouth
Which government is prepared to do that?
Don`t worry it will get worse under this dull lot
PF and lungu went and borrowed $250 million for solar hammer mills……. there was much pomp and sontaring at how lungu is working and meal prices will reduce …….
only to discover those hammer mills only produce 5 bags of meal on a good day of sunshine.
Only now lungu and PF are finding that those 5 bags produced are not even enough to pay the operator after costs of transport and packaging
This author has missed the gist of the story, how do you write about the price of mealie meal and only end at highlighting the price of charcoal. I am left wondering just how high the price of mealie meal is because i don’t buy but instead buy maize and take to chigayo!