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Copperbelt Province Runs Out of Meallie Meal For The First Time In 20 Years
Only the strong will manage to buy meallie meal at shops
By late afternoon on Tuesday, only a National Milling shop had a few bags but they quickly ran out as residents literally fought to get into the shop to buy.
All the other outlets like Shoprite checkers have no meal meallie forcing residents to wander and from in search of the commodity.
The shortage of mealie meal, Zambia’s staple food, has hit the Copperbelt Province prompting the price of the commodity to rise in 48 hours.
For the first time since the last eight years of Dr Kenneth Kaunda’s rule between 1983 and 1991, Zambians are queuing for the commodity which before September 2011 was fetching for at most K40, 000 per 25 kg breakfast meal but is now pegged at over K80, 000 in areas like Chingola.
Minister of agriculture Emmanuel Chenda has issued a statement accusing millers of hoarding alleging the shortage is artificial. People are back to the UNIP days by forming queues to purchase the commodity at few places where it is available.
The consumers are waking up at dawn to scout for mealie meal around the city. The milling companies on the Copperbelt are experiencing an acute shortage of the commodity forcing some to close while that are open but have no stock to sale.
This situation has created anger among Coperbelt residents who are wondering where government is taking the huge tonnages of maize that were harvested in this agriculture farming season.
Consumers are wondering why there is a shortage of mealie meal even as the Food Reserve Agency announced that they bought a lot of maize in the current farming season.
Some millers like Jamos Milling company have even closed their operation due to lack of stock.
Some angered residents said on television; “they show us that FRA has bought tonnes of maize but where is it going? We have also heard that Zambia has produced a lot of maize and some of it from last season is even rotting, so why is there a shortage of mealie meal?”
The PF government is failing to manage the agriculture sector leading to failure to deliver input for the 2012/13 farming season on time and payment of farmers.
Zambia Reports
Posted by Editor
on November 20, 2012. Filed under LATEST NEWS.
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Mwanarob
November 20, 2012 at 9:30 pm
Sad news. We are in a state of confusion. Some people’s lies are slowly catching up with them. Bob Marley once said “You can fool some people sometimes, but you cannot fool all the people all the time.” PF leadership – this is for you.
Josaia Tongogara
November 20, 2012 at 9:43 pm
The PF Government must be extra alert. The shortages of meal meal being experienced in some places could be the work of enemies. While there are plenty of maize stocks in the country which are sold to millers at subsidied price, the bulk of mealie meal is being smuggled out and in some cases curtails have been formed to export mealie meal openly.
am a serious PF DIE HARD.
November 21, 2012 at 9:18 am
Enemies will always be there whether inMMD or PF. It is simply government lucking capacity to solve problems. Smuggling of maized into congo has always been there even under MMD. PF have simply failed on this one.Copperbelt cannot be left with no food with it population.It is simply unacceptable. PF must work up and stop the blame game. everytime something goes wrong they want to blame it on others.They must pull up there socks and meet these challenges head on.That is what we call as leadership.
Ba Lups
November 20, 2012 at 9:45 pm
Can pipo frm copabelt confirm dis disaster.lets get news frm da horse’s mouth
neo
November 21, 2012 at 10:55 am
I have a brother who stays in chingola he has confirmed that there is a shortage of mealie meal. If you manage, cal shoprite chingola so that you hear from the horse’s mouth.
swaswa
November 22, 2012 at 9:45 am
it is true bought one yesterday at K75,000
mk
November 20, 2012 at 9:55 pm
I bought breakfast in Kitwe for K65000 per bag. I couldn’t hide my shock at a time when the first lady is being given a ration while we are queuing for unga!
mk
November 20, 2012 at 9:58 pm
While the mealie meal price is going up, the president is busy scheming how to bring bye-elections!
munyukunyuku
November 20, 2012 at 10:06 pm
That’s the problem of having a presidents who is only intrested in politicking. UNIP days are back. KK must be smiling
I hate dis leaders
November 20, 2012 at 10:41 pm
And dis is jst da beginin,com nxt year 1.5 bilion for da first lady,1.4 bilion for sata’s hous. A president is jst a peson lyk any other en cn live in a 3bedroomd hous in matero! Bt here is someone so greedy en selfish. I went for sensus som tym bak in remot vilages en i omost dropd tears pipo ar livin lyk animals
CNC
November 21, 2012 at 12:19 am
its true. No mealie meal in chingola. Bak to kk days.
Awe Twakana
November 21, 2012 at 12:21 am
Stop telling lies! There’s noone hoarding mealie meal and noone is conspiring against PF. Plan just plan: economically, agriculturally, politically
ntweno
November 21, 2012 at 12:35 am
Awe is it true ninshi kuleta amakupon
¸.•*(¸.•*´ ♥ `Zollywood´ ♥ `*•.¸)`*•.¸
November 21, 2012 at 1:08 am
i have not missed nshima for 25 yrs. Since i left Zambia i found a new taste for new foods.
my favorites.
Kartoffel Knódel = potato dumplings
even my dog scooby feeds on rice. Maize meal is stock feed for animals like pigs, goats and horses in my new found world.
wewillrule
November 21, 2012 at 8:28 am
You are feaces!!!!
Umupandapwiti
November 21, 2012 at 11:10 am
satan your call, Chick allah we saw!!!
GBM type
November 21, 2012 at 6:34 am
Even Kasama doesn’t have mealie meal, chalo chonse ichishikwete. Bafilwa, with free market economy it will be fetching 120pin real soon. What do you expect with very old colonial leadership, we ve yoked ourselves. Viva young leader mu 2016!
Kay
November 21, 2012 at 8:14 am
The situation is un acceptable.We may hav a shortage of somethn els n not th steple food.Fo sure most of our families cnt aford any alternativ.Government need to quickly move in before th situation gets totaly out of control.
duh!
November 21, 2012 at 8:31 am
zollywood s.t.f.u.!
who cares if u use maize as stock feed? we eat maize here. we have grown eating it. it’s just the poor planning of our govt.
but i encourage my fellow zedians to try diversifying. try rice, cassava meal, millet.
JUSTICE
November 21, 2012 at 8:38 am
I stay in Chingola and what is being reported is 100% accurate. There is a shortage of mealie-meal.What makes one to wonder is why this is so.
All we need, other than the availability of the commodity, is an explanation for this unacceptable situation. Keeping quiet or telling lies, by the powers that be, will not resolve the issue.
am a serious PF DIE HARD.
November 21, 2012 at 9:22 am
well u put us in power and u are paying the price.Seleni twiibeko.
Dodo
November 21, 2012 at 2:37 pm
Which shortage? There is mealimeal but the price is suspiciously high
Snatchead
November 21, 2012 at 9:27 am
tubombela akabwali so what will we work for now
CB NDOLA PF PASE
November 21, 2012 at 9:37 am
copper belt people we told you,about Sata,who has never managed, even a small katemba,how can he manege a big country.All these sata’s followers are their for jobs.And nothing they know about good governing.
Fr Bwalya and radio chengelo we need to see your concerns over this mess of poor governing by pf.we always remember your lies,conning people to vote for Sata.
Mr HH help these failures ideals on how to run a country,they have never been managing directors in big institutions.
The foolishness of sata,is busy dishing out money to bribe mmd mps and poor chiefs to defect to pf and create by elections.But is forgetting that majority,of Zambians want to be addressed economically.You people work up,pf has no direction.The only person is HH 2016!!!!!!!!!!!
pf government, its is like umulembwe wa ….upwila mulitufweko.chibemba incho ka!!!!!!!!
Kamanda Wa Kamanda
November 21, 2012 at 10:15 am
Agriculture Minister Emmanuel Chenda must be fired. He has completely failed to perform.
mable
November 21, 2012 at 10:58 am
That so sad i cant stay without mealie meal
Mutototo
November 21, 2012 at 1:58 pm
I wonder where this country is headed, how can we be queuing up for mealie meal whilst there are enough stocks of maize in reserves? This is a clear manifestation of failure on governments part in dealing with economical issues.
mm
November 21, 2012 at 2:04 pm
SATA AT ONCE SAID, ALL MMD MEMBERS ARE CROOKS HOW COME TODAY, HE IS PICKING THEEM UP, mASUMBA WAS IN PRISON AND TODAY, HE IS HIS MINISTER, SATA FOR SURE HAS SLEEPING MEMORY,UKUBEPA IFUMU, NO RAINS,busy creating district mukasuba, pray for the rains, when the ten commandments are annouced THINGS GETS BAD.
JESUS SAVE US
bigster
November 21, 2012 at 2:53 pm
the agriculture minister must be pro-active, coz hunger has so many temptations.
mosquito
November 21, 2012 at 3:08 pm
Un head off ever since, ZAMBIA grace yourselves for more crisis this government is showing signs of failure,it was mealie meal riots that brought a revolution in 1989/1990 and a subsequent coup attempt.PF show commitment.the same kaponyaz you say voted for you are soon fighting you CONGO DR there they go
mongu rice
November 21, 2012 at 4:39 pm
ukutemwa ubwali !…
MACKY 08
November 21, 2012 at 7:50 pm
Am woorried my mbuya will die there.let me buy bike i fetch him.am worried he`s 231.09kgs.
Umufyashi
November 22, 2012 at 12:48 am
Chenda Must go,he has messed up the agric industry in this country.No wander the fertilizer FISP is in a mess.Farmers not Paid.We read that he has an offshore account,let the ***** go now.Mr President this guy that you keep to close to you is a Hungry Mouse.
jamie
November 22, 2012 at 11:47 am
Iam a chingola resident and believe me the cost of living in chingola is becoming worse each and every passing day.There is no mealie meal here and its very expensive when available,even a ka bandle of rape (vegetables) with about four stems is going at k1500 each.I hope the PF goverment will address this issue as soon as possible.
master chota
November 22, 2012 at 11:57 am
chabipa sana
EMERGING LEADER
November 22, 2012 at 12:38 pm
THIS IS THE RESULT OF GOVT INTERVENTION/INTERFEARANCE WITH THE RATIONING OF PRICES,
WWWW
November 22, 2012 at 4:46 pm
Too bad no nshima
Mpangula Mputyu
November 22, 2012 at 5:22 pm
Emmanuel Chenda the agriculture minister is clueless. he has wrong figures of maize stocks. PF amplified the maize stocks that they had a bumper harvest.
The PF GOONS sold fictious excess maize to Zimbabwe and to refugee hit countries.
Now we have run out MAIZE AND & mealie meal. Smuggling will be back cause it is fetching a lot of money in DRC. Sata has failed.
Bungwe Top Dawg
November 22, 2012 at 9:50 pm
Its not the first time in since 1991..lets be honest and report correctly. Somewhere in 2001 – 2003 i remember very well mealie meal running out in chingola..and prices increasing by the minute as traders took advantage..it was during MMD..it has happened before ba kambwanga
cRiMiNaL mInDeD
November 22, 2012 at 10:01 pm
Its not the first time in since 1991..lets be honest and report correctly. Somewhere in 2001 – 2003 i remember very well mealie meal running out in chingola..and prices increasing by the minute as traders took advantage.
ONE ZAMBIA
November 23, 2012 at 7:14 am
NATIONALISE THE MILLERS IN COPPERBELT AND CHILANGA CEMENT,THIS COMPANIES ARE THOSE WITH THE OPPOSITION TO MAKE PF FAIL GOVERNING.
THEY ARE OVER PRICING
MASTER CHOTA
November 23, 2012 at 8:29 am
I thought ba copperer eimwe mukwatishe amataba pali bonse. Ninshi bamimpompolola apapene ba congo mu congo……… Kanshi mwakulanya amenshi mulepapa
The Academician
November 23, 2012 at 1:57 pm
I wish to strong advise government to take this issue seriously as some millers are conniving with opposition elements to cause confusion in the country.
The questions are- where is the maize stock that millers bought from this buying season? Has the stock disappeared? If not why are millers not producing enough mealie meal?
The answer for the government is
1. to forget about market economy dynamics and instead construct one milling plant in all the provincial centres so that maize bought by FRA can be sold directly to these government millers so allow the Zambian people enjoy their harvest, or
2. through the citizens empowerment funds and other tax incentives, allow access to only those individuals with ideas on milling plants so that we eliminate this monopoly.
Those that consume alcohol will agree that the current beer shortage the country is experiencing is as a result of monopoly