Zambia’s staple food, mealie meal (corn meal) prices have dropped by about K15 despite the overall cost of living going up, this is according to the Jesuit Centre for Theological Reflection – JCTR’s Basis Needs and Nutrition Basket (BNNB) data.
JCTR has stated that the effects of COVID – 19 on the health sector and the economy at large cannot be over emphasized as the cost of living for many Zambians has continued to go up with many responding that they are failing to meet their basic needs.
According to JCTR’s Basis Needs and Nutrition Basket (BNNB) which is a measure of the monthly cost of living for a family of 5 and conducted in 16 towns, the April 2020 basket stood at K7,159 for Lusaka with an increase of 2 percent or by K145 from K7, 015 in March 2020.
The noted slight increase in the food basket cost has been attributed to increases in food items prices such as fruits, which increased by K66 from K365 to K426, Kapenta which increased by K58, up from K164 to K221 and onion which increased by about K21 from K59 to K80.
Other items such as chicken, vegetables, soya pieces and beans price increases were between K10 and K16. Some items from the non-food essential items also recorded price increases. Charcoal price increased by K14 from K344 to K358, washing paste increased by K6 from K49 to K55 and while toilet paper moved by K6 from K23 to about K29.
JCTR’s Programme Manager for Social and Economic Development Chama Bowa said in a statement made available to the Zambian Business Times – ZBT on May 8, 2020 that the basket also recorded decreases in the prices of items such as tomatoes which reduced by K25 moving from K91 to K66, potatoes which reduced by K19 down from K49 to K30 and mealie meal which reduced by K29 from K279 to 251 for two (2) 25kg bags.
She added that for the April 2020 basket, a considerable number of both food and non-food essential items recorded price increases and that this comes at the backdrop of current income challenges due to job losses and reduced incomes in the wake of COVID-19.
JCTR has since called on Government to take urgent measures to cushion households that have been negatively impacted by COVID-19 adding that with the projected close to 20% loss in revenue, Government faces significant challenges ahead therefore the need to put in place measures to especially protect the poor and vulnerable.
“We recommend that Government through its relevant agencies develops a clear roadmap and budget for “victims” of COVID-19 similar to the one being used for households hit by the 2020 floods. For example, vulnerable homes whose livelihoods depend on hand to mouth small scale businesses, may have been badly hit by the pandemic as their business activities have now reached their lowest ebb due to, among others, the stay at home preventive measure,” She added.
