‘Govt seeks stable mealie-meal prices’
GOVERNMENT finds it unacceptable to have mealie meal prices that are so fluid when the country has produced enough maize to stabilize prices, Minister of Defense and National Security Ambrose Lufuma has said.
Mr. Lufuma said government was in a hurry to see stability in the sector so that the rural population could enjoy improved nutrition and be lifted from abject poverty.
Mr. Lufuma said this when he commissioned the Zambia National Service (ZNS) Monze milling plant yesterday.
He said the milling plant would play a critical role in reducing the prices of mealie meal not only in Monze but the country at large.
The ZNS Monze milling plant was the largest milling in the country as it can produce a capacity of more than 5,000 by 25kg breakfast, 3000 by 25kg roller meal and more than 1000kg maize bran per day.
Meanwhile Monze Member of Parliament who is also Home Affairs Minister Jack Mwimbu said the milling plant would create more job opportunities both directly and indirectly through the Ministry of Small and Medium Enterprises.
Mr. Mwiimbu said farmers in Monze and surrounding areas should take advantage of the milling plant by expanding grain production because the market will be readily available.
He said that the people of Monze especially the youths and women, should take advantage of the business opportunities that would be provided by the opening of the milling plant.
And Southern Province minister, Cornelius Mweetwa, said the commission of the milling plant was timely because the new government was pushing for value addition in products.
Mr. Mweetwa said the increase in the Constituency Development Fund (FDD) was intertwined with the opening of the facility because the ZNS command was advocating for the formation of cooperatives for youths to have access in the distribution of mealie meal as sales agents.
He also thanked the Chinese government for playing a critical role in ensuring that the project was completed.
Meanwhile ZNS Commandant, Lieutenant General Maliti Solochi said the command was fully alive to President Hakainde Hichilema’s inaugural address to the National Assembly in which he outlined the roadmap to the speedy turnaround of the country’s stressed economy.