…says the nation is too big for ZNS alone with its allied milling companies, calls for the need for capacity expansion and to bring private millers on board to resolve the challenge of citizens queuing for mealie meal
THE Zambia National Service (ZNS) with its allied millers on their own cannot produce mealie meal and feed the whole nation and that is why there is need to bring private millers on board, Cornelius Mweetwa has said.
Mr Mweetwa, the Information and Media Minister and Chief Government Spokesperson says the nation is too big for ZNS with its Eagle Milling to produce enough mealie meal to feed the entire nation apart from the challenge of having limited distribution points across the country.
Mr Mweetwa said while ZNS had achieved its initial purpose of producing cheaper and affordable mealie meal for citizens, there was need for capacity expansion in terms of production and distribution.
He said Government was calling on private millers to begin to participate actively so that the challenge and frustrations Zambians were going through of lining up for mealie meal should not be allowed to continue.
“What ZNS is producing so far is producing a lot of mealie meal through Eagle Milling and they should expand their capacity. The problem which is there is that it must be understood that ZNS cannot on their own with their allied milling companies mill and feed the entire nation.
The nation is too big and that is why government want to bring other stakeholders including private millers on board. The situation on the ground (of citizens queuing for mealie meal) cannot be allowed to continue another day.
Government should be able to flex its muscles in responding swiftly (to the problem of people lining up for mealie meal), Mr Mweetwa said.
Mr Mweetwa however said ZNS had achieved its initial purpose of producing mealie meal within its reasonable cost framework and selling it to Zambians at a logical markup that had made the commodity affordable to many Zambians.
Mr Mweetwa explained that the queues of mealie meal that had characterised the chain stores where ZNS was delivering its Eagle mealie meal had been as a result of limited distribution points.
“We have a limited presence of chain stores where ZNS is distributing its mealie meal which is attracting a lot of people because the prices are lower.
The queues we have been witnessing in some urban towns are as a result of people rushing to buy for purposes of taking it to high densely populated townships for resale at a higher price.
Government has taken note of the situation and is acting on the matter by engaging private millers and other operators on the ground. We wish to bring on board private millers even those who are not producing but have logistics,” Mr Mweetwa said.
Mr Mweetwa disclosed that the council of ministers on drought disaster had been meeting and as of Saturday, was discussing the mealie meal queues.
“Government is working round the clock to respond to the question of citizens lining up for mealie meal and we are confident that soon, the issue of people queuing for mealie meal will be resolved,” Mr Mweetwa said. DAILY NATION
