By CHILA NAMAIKO –
GOVERNMENT has reiterated that there is no short supply of maize, and that the escalating of mealie-meal prices is being caused by among other factors, the practice of hoarding of maize and mealie-meal by some millers.
Agriculture Minister Given Lubinda told Parliament yesterday that some erring millers and traders were smuggling the two commodities into neighbouring countries.
This follow unprecedented shortage of mealie-meal in some countries and in maximising their profits, some millers and traders are charging consumers exploitative prices.
“The above factors are playing together to cause an artificial shortage and thereby an increase in process,” he said.
He said this in a ministerial statement in response to a point of order recently raised by PF Mpongwe Member of Parliament Gabriel Namulambe, who asked Government’s position on escalating prices of mealie-meal when maize was being offloaded.
Mr Lubinda told the House that 100, 000 tonnes was the average consumption of the country on a monthly basis.
“I wish to inform the nation that while the Food Reserve Agency (FRA) is releasing maize at K1, 700 per tonne, neighbouring countries are buying at K3, 800 per tonne. Whereas we are urging traders to sell mealie-meal at K75 per bag, the same mealie-meal is selling for anything between K250 to K400 per bag across Zambia’s borders,” he said.
He said Government had since cancelled contracts of erring millers and blacklisted them from participating on FRA contracts for the next two seasons.
In a follow up question by PF Kwacha MP Boniface Mutale on Government’s measure to curtail smuggling of maize and mealie-meal, Mr Lubinda said, the security wings have intensified monitoring of the movement of the two commodities.
Mr Lubinda also dismissed reports from an opposition leader, who recently told a foreign media that Government has exported all the maize and was now importing the exported maize due to shortage of the commodity in the country.