Maseru, Jan.08—Consumer Protection Association (CPA) encourages consumers to engage in production of basic needs including food and clothes.
This, CPA Chairperson Mr. Khalema Khoabane said on Wednesday following the six percent rise in maize meal by Lesotho Flour Mills. He said this is the crucial time where people need to produce and ensure that there is a supply chain especially for crops and vegetables as that would help in improving food security.
He said it is best to produce different commodities in large quantities saying that will make them sustainable and not depend on other countries which lately has been affected by different factors including climate change and war between Ukraine and Russia.
He said January is a difficult time in terms of finances as people must pay for school fees saying the six percent increase in maize meal is going to affect consumers badly hence the need to produce so that it will reduce the burden of having to buy everything from vegetables, food, stationery and electricity.
“We must produce and not depend on or rely on money as we cannot eat it”, he stressed.
He urged consumers to be vigilant of the changes happening in their daily lives saying this would help them handle life differently and adapt to change.
Meanwhile Lesotho Flour Mills has increased the prices for maize meal by six percent effective from January 06, 2025 and in 2024 alone, the company increased maize meal prices about three times. The Agency has learned that the current prices of 12.5kg in shops is between M117 and M120.
According to Lesotho Vulnerability Assessment about 700,000 people in Lesotho are food insecure and require humanitarian action to reduce food gaps, protect and restore livelihoods as well as prevent acute malnutrition.
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