IN a bid to alleviate the escalating cost of mealie meal, the Zambia National Service (ZNS) is set to commence the supply of the commodity at Shoprite outlets starting next week.
The initiative aims to provide citizens with accessible and reasonably priced staple food at K230 for breakfast and K190 for roller meal.
The distribution exercise to Shoprite outlets will first begin in Lusaka in the 17 Shoprite outlets available and then roll out across the country.
Speaking at a media briefing, Minister of Information and Media and Chief Government spokesperson Cornelius Mweetwa said starting next week, the cost of living will begin to adjust with mealie meal which has caused a lot of anxiety among the citizenry.
Mr Mweetwa also announced that export of the commodity be it in mealie meal form or maize form will not be allowed.
He advised farmers with stock to offload the commodity to the Food Reserve Agency (FRA) and or the millers.
The Minister said Government has been involved in various negotiations and interactions with stakeholders particularly in production of mealie meal.
He said this is in the face of the rising and unstable pricing of mealie meal which remains unexplained given that the country does not presently have any shortage of the commodity.
“Neither do we have an occurrence of a shortage of maize. But the price of mealie meal has continued to go up unexplained. After consultations and engagements, I wish to inform the nation that beginning next week and this is the week that begins in this coming weekend, ZNS mealie meal will be selling in Shoprite outlets across the nation at prices as follows, breakfast 25kilograms bag at K230 and roller meal at K190,” he said.
Mr Mweetwa noted that places without Shoprite outlets will have access to community buying of the commodity through ZNS outlets.
“In consideration where there are no Shoprite outlets, other trading outlets maybe engaged,” he said.
Mr Mweetwa added that Government is committed and remains focused that this farming season, more farmers will upscale their production.
(Mwebantu, Friday, 13th October, 2023)