The govt’s subsidy on mealie meal has resulted in an acute shortage of the commodity as millers who are not registered under the new mealie meal subsidy scheme are withholding their stocks Newsday reports.
Millers who spoke to the publication about the situation said:
The 60 millers are holding on to their maize stocks and cannot risk producing roller meal without being registered.-
The few who have been registered are struggling to supply the market and this has caused serious shortages of the product on the market. Only highly priced refined mealie-meal being sold at around $115 per 10kg is found in the shops
The govt had removed the subsidy on the mealie meal but quickly changed their decision after there was a public outcry over the new price of mealie meal but on condition that millers should register with the Industry ministry to qualify for the subsidy scheme.
More: Newsday