• MAZ investigating reports of mealie meal shortage in Lusaka and some parts of the country.
• Food Reserve Agency is offloading maize to the millers.
• It is unlikely that there will be any shortage on the market.
Millers Association of Zambia (MAZ) says it is investigating reports of mealie meal shortage in Lusaka and some parts of the country.
Speaking to Money FM News, Association President Andrew Chintala said the association is not aware of any mealie meal shortages as it has not received complaints from millers.
Mr. Chintala however stated that the Association will investigate the matter to ascertain what is causing the shortage in some areas as suggested by reports.
“With the Food Reserve Agency (FRA) offloading maize to the millers, it is unlikely that there will be any shortage on the market,” Mr. Chintala said.
And a check by Money FM News around some trading places, found that most shops in Chawama Compound and other parts of Lusaka had completely run out of mealie meal and the commodity is now selling at prices ranging between K185 and K190 for a 25kg bag of breakfast mealie meal while a 25kg bag of roller meal is fetching at between K155 and K175.
This has not been taken lightly by some residents who have complained of the exorbitant prices at which the staple food is selling and further called on Government to quickly intervene in the matter.
In June 2022, government assured the nation that Zambia is food secure beyond the next harvest and that it expected mealie meal prices to gradually fall.
Chief Government Spokesperson Chushi Kasanda attributed the expectation to new maize stock from small-scale farmers which would start being offloaded on the market.
In a statement released to the media, Ms. Kasanda however noted that the relatively high mealie meal prices being experienced are as a result of the high cost of carry-over maize grain which is being used to process the mealie meal.
She said Prices are slightly higher in some areas of Muchinga, Northern, Eastern and Western provinces mainly due to external influences such as smuggling.
