Mozambique: No Shortages in Festive Season, Pledge Businesses

Maputo — Mozambican businesses on Friday promised that they are able to supply all the requirements of consumers during the coming festive season.

This promise was made at a meeting between the Ministers of Agriculture and of Industry and Trade, Soares Nhaca and Antonio Fernando, and representatives of poultry farmers, importers and informal sector vendors.

A representative of the poultry producers, Telma Churi, said that the price of chickens at the farm gate varies between 90 and 100 meticais (at current exchange rates, there are about 27.3 meticais to the US dollar). So the retail price of Mozambican chickens should not be more than 110 meticais each.

She urged consumers not to pay speculative prices, and to denounce anyone selling chickens at exorbitant prices. "We guarantee that this year we will have enough chickens and at a price not higher than 110 meticais", she said. "We have decided to set up sales posts so that producers can sell chickens directly to consumers".

The president of the Association of Informal Importers and Vendors (Mukhero), Sudecar Novela, guaranteed that his members could meet the needs of the market, but did not put any figures on this. "Our imports will be in line with demand", he stressed.

The chairperson of the Association of Mozambican Micro-Importers (AMIMO), Fernando Matusse, guaranteed that his members will put 700,000 sacks of potatoes, 500,000 sacks of onions, 50,000 crates of tomatoes, and 100,000 crates of eggs on the market.

He said all attempts would be made to prevent price increases. However he made the unlikely claim that at this time of year there is a shortage of foodstuffs on the South African market, where the imports come from, because of rains and holidays of the farm workers.

Antonio Fernando promised that the customs duties that are still charged on some foodstuffs imported from South Africa, despite the SADC (Southern African Development Community) free trade area, would not be a problem, since customs will work on the basis of a favourable "reference price" for these goods. This should end the frequent claim by importers that they are charged duty based on unrealistically high prices.

Fernando said that the trade inspectorate will continue to monitor the situation on the ground in order to avoid speculation, and to check on any shortages n the markets.

Source:allafrica.com/