Mealie Meal prices to go up!

MAZ President Allan Sakala

The Millers Association of Zambia (MAZ) has announced that the prices of mealie meal will in the next few days go up by k10 to k15 per 25kg bag of breakfast.

MAZ President Allan Sakala told a media briefing in Lusaka this morning that the rapid increase is due to a reduction in the maize harvest of 600,000 tonnes compared to last season.

Mr. Sakala adds that the massive export of maize into Zimbabwe, Malawi, Democratic Republic of Congo and South Africa is another reason that has led to the increase.

The association has thus called on the government to ban the issuing of export licenses to the private sector and only the Food Reserve Agency (FRA) should be allowed to export over and above the strategic reserves.

He says if exports are not banned then consumers must brace themselves to pay up to K100 per 25kg bag.

Mr. Sakala explains that in addition to the escalating maize prices, millers are already burdened by up to 50% loss in production due to load shedding and general power outages adding that the latest announcement which will increase the cost of production even further is the proposed increase in Zesco tariffs slated for 1st November, 2015.

He has further appealed to the government to save jobs in Zambia by insisting that only value added products are exported.