• prices are likely to remain stable if economic factors such as fuel, maize, and electricity remain favorable
• mealie meal prices have been stable in the past because the economic indicators were well balanced
• When demand of Mealie meal is high, the prices seem to go up and vice visa.
Millers Association of Zambia (MAZ) says mealie meal prices are likely to remain stable if economic factors such as fuel, maize, and electricity remain favorable.
Speaking in an interview with Money FM News, Association President Andrew Chintala noted that mealie meal prices have been stable in the past because the economic indicators were well balanced.
Mr, Chintala said high mealie meal prices currently obtaining on the market are mainly because millers are accessing maize at much higher costs.
He stated is optimistic that an increased supply of maize on the market may eventually lead to a reduction in mealie meal prices.
“Mealie-meal prices have remained relatively stable over the last months. I haven’t seen any sharp movements in terms of upward adjustments of mealie-meal,” he said.
Mr. Chintala however stated that it is difficult to predict future prices of mealie meal due to the monthly fuel price review by Energy Regulation Board (ERB), further advising the Regulator to introduce a quarterly fuel review to bring stability in business.
“An increase in the supply of maize could eventually induce a reduction in mealie meal prices as well as the stability of fuel prices, Maize is a very sensitive commodity that we have to deal with in Zambia because maize deals not only with it being the staple food, but it also borders on national food security. Whenever we are talking of food security, we actually concentrate and refer to maize so in as far as the marketing practices of maize, it’s very difficult for me to actually give a price that is constant or maybe to give exact prices of Mealie Meal going forward,” He explained.
Mr. Chintala further added that when demand of Mealie meal is high, the prices seem to go up and vice visa.
A 25 Kilogram Bag of Mealie Meal is currently pegged between k150 and k160 in Lusaka while it was pegged between k125 and k135 in the recent past.
Meanwhile, Mr. Chintala revealed that millers have so far exported over 400, 000 metric tonnes of mealie meal to the Democratic Republic of Congo.
