By Ndatenda Njanike

THE Grain Millers Association of Zimbabwe (GMAZ) has dismissed reports some of its members were holding on to stocks of roller meal and causing artificial shortages in the process.

In a statement Monday, GMAZ Media and Public Relations Manager Garikai Chaunza said current shortages being experienced were a result of transport challenges among individual cereal processors.

“GMAZ would like to dismiss as misrepresentation and unwarranted allegations that millers were holding on to subsidised roller meal, as being reported in some sections of the media,” said Chaunza.

“As a matter of fact, some millers have the product and are failing to deliver the mealie meal to retailers in time because of the current fuel crisis which is affecting everyone in the country.”

Chaunza challenged those making the allegations of millers caching roller meal to visit individual milling companies to get first-hand information that indeed production was taking place.

He said it were in face, retailers and wholesalers themselves who were failing to collect stocks due to the fuel crisis as trucks were spending most of the time in long full queues.

“Also, we have production and delivery schedules and it’s common cause that whenever one visits any milling production entity, you would find some stock (s) testifying that there is production taking place.

“Even some of our clients (retailers and wholesalers) are failing to collect their allocations in time because of the fuel situation, as their trucks are spending hours in fuel queues.”

GMAZ promised to work round the clock to resolve the situation.

“We are however, working round the clock to arrest this crippling problem,” Chaunza said.