Malawi’s maize output falls 20% in five years amid alarming soil degradation

MALAWI – Maize production in Malawi has dropped by 20% over the past five years, according to new data from the Ministry of Agriculture, highlighting a growing food security concern for a country heavily reliant on the staple crop.

The decline, reported in the Ministry’s Second Round Crop Estimates for the 2024/25 farming season, is being attributed largely to severe land degradation.

Maize accounts for roughly 53% of Malawi’s Consumer Price Index (CPI), meaning that fluctuations in its supply significantly impact inflation and the broader economy.

Experts warn that soil erosion is stripping the country of 29 metric tonnes (MT) of topsoil per hectare each year, dramatically lowering yields in maize, Malawi’s key food and inflation indicator.

Where farmers once harvested up to six MT per hectare, many now harvest only one to two tonnes.

“Most of the soils are degraded. It really shows that farmers have made some few losses on harvests,” said Francis Chilenga, Chief Agriculture Extension Officer at Mzuzu Agriculture Development Division, during a field visit to Bwengu Extension Planning Area in Mzimba North.

The soil loss, according to Chilenga, is not only reducing productivity but also driving up the need for inorganic fertilisers, inputs many smallholder farmers cannot afford due to soaring prices.

 “This needs a lot of fertiliser and manure to enrich the soil so that farmers can harvest something,” he said.

To address this, the government is promoting catchment management strategies aimed at restoring soil health, alongside expanding irrigation efforts. Chilenga noted that the National Economic Empowerment Fund (NEEF) is supporting this initiative by providing farmers with solar-powered irrigation pumps.

The Integrated Catchment Management Campaign was officially launched to rally support for these sustainable agricultural practices. Operating under the theme ‘Transforming the agriculture sector through irrigation and integrated catchment conservation for improved food security and economic prosperity’, the campaign emphasizes landscape restoration, soil fertility management, and water conservation.

Traditional Authority Jalavikuba, a former extension officer, urged farmers and stakeholders to focus on organic alternatives like manure, which he said helps retain soil nutrients, moisture, and prevents erosion.

 “Most farmers cannot afford to buy fertiliser, so there is need to encourage them to be producing manure,” he said, adding that adoption of new technologies is also critical amid climate stress.

Agricultural policy expert Tamani Nkhono-Mvula expressed concern over the gap between rising food demand and falling maize yields, warning that this trend threatens long-term food security.

 “It is disturbing that production levels for maize are decreasing, yet the population is increasing,” he said.

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