Millers resume mealie-meal sales at old prices

THE Grain Millers Association of Zimbabwe (GMAZ) yesterday took the sale of subsided roller-meal to Murewa, selling the staple food at the old price of $70 for a 10kg bag while negotiations with government over new prices continue.

Millers last week threatened to stop the sale of the subsidised roller meal after the Grain Marketing Board hiked the price of maize grain by 100% to $12 000 per tonne, up from $6 000.

GMAZ spokesperson Garikai Chaunza yesterday said while negotiations for new prices were on-going, the millers had decided to continue distributing the roller meal in their stocks.

“We will continue selling our old stock to the people while we continue negotiating with government on new prices. They are the owners of the programme,” he said yesterday.

Chaunza was speaking on the sidelines of the sale of 30 tonnes of the staple food at Shumbalo Supermarket at Murewa centre.

“Millers are in business and there is need for a balance between their interests and those of government,” he said.

Millers have been taking the roller meal to residential areas across the country during the COVID-19 lockdown.

This follows government's decision to decongest central business districts during the lockdown to control the spread of coronavirus.

So far, GMAZ has been to Mutare, Bulawayo and Harare. Next week, the millers will be in Gwanda.

There have been worrying queues for the subsidised mealie-meal across the country, with observers fearing they could fuel the spread of the deadly virus.