By JAMES KUNDA –
The Millers Association of Zambia (MAZ) is satisfied with the timely release of maize to millers by Government  which has contributed to a  significant reduction in mealie-meal prices.
This follows the  offloading of 150,000 tonnes of maize by the Food Reserve Agency (FRA) from Strategic Grain Reserves (SGRs) for onward distribution to millers countrywide.
And Agriculture  and Livestock Deputy Minister Greford Monde has  insisted that distribution of maize to the millers was a continuous process which would go-on until April when the country harvests the 2013/14 crop.
Mr Sakala said  the Government intervention to provide additional maize has  caused a reduction in mealie-meal prices to at least K62 per 25 kg bag of breakfast from as much as K85.
THE Food Reserve Agency (FRA) has so far offloaded 150,000 tonnes of maize from over 420,000 tonnes in the Strategic Grain Reserves (SGRs) to millers as a means to stabilise retail prices of mealie-meal in the country.
Mr Sakala said the uniform price of K1, 700 per tonne of maize at which millers are buying maize from the FRA should be maintained.
“The price of mealie-meal has stabilised to around K62 now and this is owing to the availability of more maize stocks by the FRA.
Millers are now fully stocked and the commodity price should remain stable everywhere as FRA has also maintained the uniform price for maize,” he said.
Mr Monde said the FRA initially offloaded 50,000 tonnes of maize from the SGRs to the millers between December 2013 and January 2014.
This 50,000 tonnes of maize was consumed recently and the FRA was prompted to release an additional 100,000 tonnes of the grain so that the millers are well stocked with the commodity.
He said following this development, the Government now expected that the retail price of mealie-meal on the local market would stabilise to below K65.
During the last crop marketing season, Government had procured 426, 150 tonnes of maize from farmers between September 30 and November 15, 2013, worth K554 million.
This consignment was intended for national grain reserves to ensure that enough maize was available for the millers before the next harvest in April this year.
The millers are buying the maize from FRA at K 1,700 per tonne.