Business / Local
Mealie-meal prices go up
13 Feb 2013 at 00:23hrs | Views
GRAIN millers around the country are facing difficulties sourcing grain locally and this has triggered an increase in mealie-meal prices, Grain Millers Association of Zimbabwe chairperson Mr Tafadzwa Musarara, has said.
In an interview, he said the association had engaged maize suppliers from South Africa in an effort to improve supplies to local grain millers.
"We are currently receiving limited supplies of maize from the GMB which has triggered an increase in the price of mealie-meal at retail outlets since grain millers are importing maize from Zambia at exorbitant prices.
"We traditionally experience maize shortages in the country between January and April since the nation would have exhausted maize at the GMB, stocked from last year's harvest," said Mr Musarara.
He said maize supplies from Zambia had decreased since that country was recently hit by maize shortages forcing suppliers to increase the price of maize per tonne.
"We are failing to source maize from Zambia since that country is currently facing maize shortages which have seen local grain millers sourcing a tonne of maize at above $400 yet locally at the GMB it costs $295.
"As an association we have over the past month registered a significant increase in maize imports although we are not in a position to divulge the exact figures since we do not have the statistics at hand," said Mr Musarara.
He said the association anticipated that maize supplies would normalise at the beginning of March since they hoped to reach an agreement with South African maize suppliers.
A survey by Business Chronicle revealed that the price of mealie-meal was now ranging between $6.99 and $7.65 per 10kg from $6.50 depending on the brand and quality of the mealie-meal.
In an interview, he said the association had engaged maize suppliers from South Africa in an effort to improve supplies to local grain millers.
"We are currently receiving limited supplies of maize from the GMB which has triggered an increase in the price of mealie-meal at retail outlets since grain millers are importing maize from Zambia at exorbitant prices.
"We traditionally experience maize shortages in the country between January and April since the nation would have exhausted maize at the GMB, stocked from last year's harvest," said Mr Musarara.
He said maize supplies from Zambia had decreased since that country was recently hit by maize shortages forcing suppliers to increase the price of maize per tonne.
"We are failing to source maize from Zambia since that country is currently facing maize shortages which have seen local grain millers sourcing a tonne of maize at above $400 yet locally at the GMB it costs $295.
"As an association we have over the past month registered a significant increase in maize imports although we are not in a position to divulge the exact figures since we do not have the statistics at hand," said Mr Musarara.
He said the association anticipated that maize supplies would normalise at the beginning of March since they hoped to reach an agreement with South African maize suppliers.
A survey by Business Chronicle revealed that the price of mealie-meal was now ranging between $6.99 and $7.65 per 10kg from $6.50 depending on the brand and quality of the mealie-meal.
Source - TC
