By BUUMBA CHIMBULU
MILLERS are this week expected to resume distribution of mealie meal in Eastern Province and other parts of the country, which have been starved of the commodity the past few weeks due to restrictions put in place by Government.
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About a week ago, millers blamed Government for the current mealie meal shortage in the affected parts of the country, citing regulations restricting them from supplying the commodity for over two months now.
The millers revealed that Government about seven months ago passed regulations restricting millers from supplying mealie meal into Eastern Province on account that consumers were buying in bulk while taking it across the border post.
In an update on the commodity shortage in affected areas which includes Luangwa and Chililabonbwe, the millers have signalled that progress has been made with discussions with Government which will result in mealie meal distribution before the end of this week
Andrew Chintala, Millers Association of Zambia (MAZ) president, hinted in an interview yesterday that the situation is being tackled.
Mr Chintala said the Ministry of Agriculture was still issuing permits to private millers for the distribution of mealie meal in the country and that the Zambia National Service (ZNS) who were also in the milling business had been given the mandate to monitor the movement of the product.
Efforts to get a comment from Mtolo Phiri, the Minister of Agriculture on the involvement of ZNS in monitoring the distribution of mealie meal by private millers failed as his mobile phone went unanswered on several attempts.
“We expect that this week we should be able to resume the distribution of the movement into the province, form our side we have done everything possible and we are all ready.
“I am very confident that we should start moving the commodity into the province before the end of this week. We are just waiting that once that schedule is released and should be able to see that the situation will be contained in the next few days,” Mr Chintala indicated.
Mr Chintala signalled millers’ readiness to distribute mealie meal in the affected areas as soon as the schedule was concluded by the Ministry of Agriculture and the task force for food security.
His expectations are that the schedule will not be as complicated at before once it is concluded, saying there were a number of issues to be attended to for it to be adjusted.
“In terms of the stock movement document, we have had very positive discussions with Government and they appreciate that the challenges in the Eastern circuit was as a result of the same because it took them long for them to be able to facilitate the movement into that province,” Mr Chintala said.
On the maize availability, Mr Chintala said: “As far as the maize situation is concerned I can say that we are comfortable but it will depend on the demand we are getting as we go on because this is peak period for the stock.”
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