Chief Government Spokesperson CHUSHI KASANDA attributes the expectation to new maize stock from small-scale farmers which will start being offloaded on the market.
Ms. KASANDA however notes that the relatively high mealie meal prices being experienced are a result of the high cost of carry-over maize grain which is being used to process the mealie meal.
She said this in a statement to ZNBC New in Lusaka.
Currently the latest retail price of breakfast mealie meal is averaging K150per 25 kilogram bag while the price of the same quantity of roller meal is averaging K110.
According to a report with ZNBC, Ms. KASANDA said Prices are slightly higher in some areas of Muchinga, Northern, Eastern and Western provinces mainly as a result of external influences such as smuggling
Meanwhile, Ms. KASANDA who is Information and Media Minister said the country is food secure beyond the next harvest.
She said there is adequate mealie meal supply throughout the country.
Ms. KASANDA revealed that the country produced over 2 .7 million metric tonnes of maize during the 2021/2022 agriculture season.
She also said the country had a total maize carry-over stock of over 1.5 million metric tonnes.
The Chief Government spokesperson noted that this leaves the country with excess maize stock of over 1.2 million metric tonnes.