Mozambique: Product shortages in Tete supermarkets

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Mozambique: Product shortages in Tete supermarkets

4:15 CAT | 21 Feb 2025

File photo: O País

Some supermarkets in the city of Tete have run out of familiar products, to the consternation of consumers looking to buy food for daily consumption. Chicken and fish are among the products missing from supermarket refrigerators.

“I have to look for something else. Yesterday I went to the fridges and there was no chicken. There was only that cafreal [Goan] chicken, so I ended up leaving it,” said one consumer.

In addition to frozen domestic chicken, some stores and supermarkets are recording low stocks of horse mackerel. Augusto Dias went to a very busy store in the city centre to buy horse mackerel, but to his surprise ended up returning home empty-handed. “I just wanted to buy horse mackerel, but they didn’t have any. I’m going to look for cabbage to eat,” Dias said.

Retailers say the situation has been going on for about two weeks, but claim it the fault of their suppliers. Meanwhile, the only frozen chicken available in supermarket refrigerators is imported, one supplier said. “We haven’t had any chicken for two weeks now. Fish started to become scarce this week.
Last week, Friday, there wasn’t even horse mackerel fish,” he said.

Another supplier said that fish would only arrive in Beira next week, as the ship transporting
it is currently in Namibia. On this subject, our reporting team contacted Abílio Antunes, one of the largest chicken producers and suppliers. Off the record, the company confirmed the shortage of the
product and referred further enquiries to management in Manica for more details.

We also contacted the Provincial Director of Industry and Commerce, but Ofélio Jeremias denies that there is a shortage and explains that the alleged lack of frozen chicken and horse mackerel is the result of poor management by retailers. “Regarding the Abílio Antunes warehouse, replenishment will be guaranteed to ensure distribution to other sectors. But that doesn’t mean this product is completely scarce. No! It is available in other establishments,” Jeremias explained.

Jeremias also assured that in places where there is a shortage, restocking would happen within a few days. “Of course, it may happen that one or another establishment does not have this product, but we believe that within a short time, all establishments that sell this product will have it available. Therefore, we want to take this opportunity to alert economic agents to always ensure stock replenishment. Don’t wait for stocks to run out completely before looking for them. So it’s a question of management,” he explained.

Source: O País