Increasing mealie meal prices shock millers

By LUCY PHIRI

Mealie meal prices should be stable because  we have not increased any prices for the past few months, so we would expect the retailers and all the traders to maintain the same, Millers Association of Zambia (MAZ) President Andrew Chintala has said.

Mr Chintala in an interview refuted claims of rising mealie meal prices and the fact that prices above K200 per 25kg bag of breakfast mealie meal in  some parts of the country.

He said he was not aware about the increased mealie meal prices because the association has not increased any prices of late.

Mr Chintala further disclosed that he is only aware of the disturbance on the Copperbelt recently where millers were travelling long distances to move maize to the Copperbelt which caused confusion but has been sorted.

He said the cause of the rise in the mealie prices in Copperbelt was transportation issues and that’s why there was a slight increment.

“The Copperbelt province was facing challenges and instability in the mealie meal prices following the shortage of maize in the province where millers were travelling long distances to move maize to the Copperbelt and other areas which caused confusion but was sorted out,’’ he said.

Mr Chintala added that ZAM has not increased any mealie prices aside from the Copperbelt issue, and was therefore  shocked, because he was not aware of the higher prices of mealie in Lusaka.

Mr Chintala has therefore urged all traders and retailers to adjust the prices because the prices have been stable.