Manufacturers Cut Prices on Food and Goods

More than 30 Zambian manufacturers have announced price reductions on a range of essential household and industrial goods, following a direct call from Commerce, Trade and Industry Minister Chipoka Mulenga for firms to bring down market prices.

The Zambia Association of Manufacturers confirmed the cuts span food and non-food items, including mealie meal, sugar, cooking oil, soya pieces and mattresses. ZAM President Mohammed Umar said the reductions reflect improvements in macroeconomic fundamentals, including a strengthening kwacha and easing inflationary pressures.

Among the specific reductions, breakfast mealie meal under the Milling brand has dropped from K300 to K260, while Zambia Sugar has cut the price of industrial and household sugar by five percent. Cooking oil reductions from Mount Meru and a 19 percent price cut on Seba Soya Pieces and Nutra Milk from 260 Brands are also included.

Umar said the list of reductions is expected to grow as more companies publish updated pricing. He urged retailers to ensure the savings reach consumers rather than being absorbed at the distribution level.

Jacqueline Chishimba, Deputy Director General of the Public-Private Dialogue Forum, welcomed the reductions as evidence of productive engagement between government and industry.

ZAM said it remains in discussions with government over structural constraints that continue to affect input costs, and that sustaining the reductions will depend on broader efforts across the economy.