The price of mealie-meal in Mungwi has continued to maintain an upward trend despite government instituting regulatory measures.
A survey by ZANIS in Mungwi today revealed that the price of a 25 kilogramme breakfast is costing K70, 000 while a 25 kilogramme bag of roller meal is fetching K45, 000 at the three suppliers of the commodity in the district.
Local dealers at Mungwi market have attributed the price of mealie meal to high transportation costs from Kasama to Mungwi.
One dealer Gilbert Mulenga has said they are getting a 25 kilogramme breakfast at K 61,000 and a roller meal at K40, 000 from Kasama adding that they could not sell the commodity at anything less than K70,000 and K45,000 respectively due to the high transportation costs.
Some residents have however expressed fear that the price of mealie-meal would go up further if government does not intervene.
Meanwhile, the supply of the commodity has greatly improved following government’s ban on the export of maize to other countries and a check at Mungwi market found huge stocks of breakfast and roller meal.
And Mealie-meal prices have drastically increased in Nakonde district of Muchinga Province despite government having released more maize to all the millers in the country.
A 25 kg bag of roller meal is now selling at K79, 000 from K68, 000 while breakfast meal is now being sold at K80, 000 from K72, 000 last week.
ZANIS