By 
Socialist Party (SP) president, Fred M’membe, has projected an increase in the price of mealie-meal with the upward adjustment of the price of maize from K280 to K330 per 50 kilogramme announced by the Food Reserve Agency (FRA).
The FRA recently announced the upward adjustment of the price of maize from K280 to K330 per 50 kilogramme.
M’membe in a statement issued in Lusaka on Saturday said this means that private buyers would pay above K330 price to farmers to buy the little available maize.
The Socialist Party leader said consequently, citizens should expect a huge jump in mealie-meal prices and a corresponding leap in inflation.
“Zambia’s annual inflation rate climbed to a 26-month high and may continue to increase as drought in parts of the country and renewed weakness in the currency lifts prices, M’membe said.
He said what President Hakainde Hichilema and his league do not seem to understand was that a rise in maize price, aside from mealie-meal, heavily impacts all poultry and livestock product.
“I was shocked that the price of hay has risen from K350 per stack last year to K800 last week,” the Socialist Party leader said.
M’membe said it was shocking that the government had paid a complete blind eye to the poultry and livestock industry.
He said these industries were slowly collapsing as farmers are pulling out due to the high cost of inputs.
“One day, we will wake up to find a chicken sellDeling for K300. Coupled with Zesco applying for an electricity tariff increase, possible fuel hikes at the end of April, and so on and so forth. It’s depressing, to say the least,” M’membe said.
WARNING! All rights reserved. This material, and other digital content on this website, may not be reproduced, published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed in whole or in part without prior express permission from ZAMBIA MONITOR.
Comments