Maize price hiked in Chipata

Maize price hiked in Chipata

Chipata, March 7, ZANIS ——–Black marketers dealing in maize in Chipata district in Eastern Province have taken advantage of the mealie- meal shortage to hike maize prices due to the increased demand for the commodity.

People in the district have opted to procure maize which they take to hammer millers in order to have mealie meal.

A check by ZANIS this morning found that traders at Kapata market and second class trading area had hiked the price of the commodity.

Traders talked to said that a 1×50 Kilogram bag of maize which was selling at KR50  was now going at KR120 while a 16 liters tin of maize commonly known ‘ Meda’  which  was between KR18 and KR20 was now trading at KR35.

“Due to the demand for maize that has been caused by shortage of mealie- meal, farmers in the district have also taken advantage to hike the selling price of maize but before this, we were selling a 16 liter of maize at KR20rebased, “she said.

Sofia Zulu attributed the increase of the price of the commodity to the critical shortage of mealie- meal that has hit some parts of the district.

Ms Zulu said they had decided to hike the price because the ordering price for a 1×50 kg bag of maize was at KR100.

And Rebecca Zulu a black marketer at second class trading area said that she spends much of her time fetching for the maize grain to re-sell.

Ms Zulu stated that buying of maize was the easier business to trade before as maize was available in most areas of the rural places.

She however called on government to find the root cause of shortage of mealie- meal which she said affected their business.

She wondered how Eastern Province could be hit with shortages of mealie- meal and maize when the province is the highest producers of maize in the country.