Malawi faces food crisis as maize prices soar
Economists warn that rising maize prices threaten to drive inflation higher in an economy already strained by election-related spending.
MALAWI – Malawians are facing one of the toughest food crises in recent years as maize prices soar to unprecedented levels, straining household budgets and threatening national food security.
Once selling at K60,000 (about US$35) for a 50-kilogram bag just a few months ago, the same amount now fetches as much as K85,000 (US$50), according to traders across the country.
For many low-income families, maize, the country’s staple, has become increasingly out of reach. In Bangwe Township, Blantyre, 26-year-old housewife Anita Kang’ona described how her family has been forced to cut back drastically.
“We are now buying maize at K1, 600 (US$0.91) per kilogramme. Three meals a day are impossible, we have resorted to one meal per day,” she said.
Vendors in Chiradzulu are charging as high as K1, 700 (US$0.97) per kilogram, while in Kauma, Lilongwe, prices are reported between K62,000 and K68,000 (US$36–40) per bag.
The International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) noted that maize prices jumped by 13 percent in most parts of Malawi since June, compared to an average of K792 per kilogram in the same period last year.
By December 2024, prices had already reached a record US$0.53 per kg. Economists point to government farm gate pricing, rising costs of goods, and a maize deficit now at 1.2 million metric tonnes, double initial 2024/25 season projections, as key drivers.
Malawi’s inflation rose to 27.3 percent in July 2025 from 27.1 percent in June, fueled by food costs.
Agriculture economist Horace Phiri of LUANAR warned that unchecked maize prices could push inflation higher, urging timely maize sales by Admarc Limited, which has procured 13,000 metric tonnes from smallholder farmers. With maize heavily influencing the economy, inflation is projected to average 23 percent in the 2025/26 budget.
The 2024 El Niño drought decimated 44 percent of the maize crop, leaving 5.7 million people food insecure.
The World Food Programme (WFP) is targeting 1.9 million people in nine districts with food, nutrition support, school meals, and logistics aid.
Since September 2024, WFP has distributed over 38,500 metric tonnes of maize and US$3.3 million in cash transfers, treating 39,700 cases of moderate acute malnutrition and 30,700 severe cases. A new deal with the government and World Bank will deliver 48,000 metric tonnes from Tanzania, aiding 954,000 households.
The crisis is particularly alarming because maize accounts for 53.7 percent of Malawi’s consumer price index, making any fluctuation a driver of broader inflation. Agriculture Minister Sam Kawale has sought to reassure the public, pointing to government measures such as irrigation expansion, crop diversification, and increased local maize procurement.
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