Malawi to import 20,000MT of maize flour from Tanzania to alleviate rising local prices
MALAWI – The National Food Reserves Agency (NFRA) of Malawi has announced plans to import between 9,000 and 20,000 metric tons (MT) of maize flour from Tanzania to mitigate soaring local maize prices.
This decision comes in response to limited domestic supply and escalating costs, which have reached approximately K1,200 (US$1.01) per kilogram.
George Macheka, NFRA Chief Executive Officer disclosed this development during a visit by the Agriculture Committee of Parliament to the agency’s Limbe offices in Blantyre.
Committee members were taken aback to find the warehouse empty, highlighting the pressing need for imports. Macheka explained that the Southern Region warehouse currently holds only 480 MT of maize, with the majority stored in silos at Kanengo.
He attributed the low stock levels in the Southern Region to the adverse effects of El Niño weather patterns, which have disrupted local maize production.
To address the shortfall, Macheka stated that the NFRA is in the process of importing maize flour from Tanzania.
Macheka reassured the parliamentary committee that the NFRA currently holds over 50,000 MT of maize, following the distribution of 56,000 MT through the Department of Disaster Management Affairs (Dodma) since September 2024.
He emphasized that the remaining stock is sufficient to meet demand through mid-March. However, the planned importation of up to 20,000 MT is deemed necessary to supplement supplies for the subsequent months.
He also noted that the NFRA has K8 billion (US$6.73 million) in its account and anticipates an additional K15 billion (US$12.61 million), bringing the total to K23 billion (US$19.34 million), to facilitate these imports.
Vice-Chairperson of the Agriculture Committee, Ulemu Chilapondwa, expressed satisfaction with the NFRA’s proactive measures.
He highlighted that the current surge in maize prices is primarily due to market dominance by vendors, underscoring the importance of NFRA’s intervention to stabilize the market.
Chilapondwa also commended the agency’s initiative to procure maize flour from Tanzania, a move made feasible after Malawi lifted its ban on maize imports from the neighboring country.
Dodma’s Director of Disaster Preparedness and Response, Reverend Moses Chimphepo, provided an update on the nation’s hunger response efforts.
He reported significant progress in both resource mobilization and the distribution of relief food and cash transfers.
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