A parliamentary watchdog has questioned the government’s decision to divert nearly US$13.9 million from Blantyre Water Board towards the purchase of maize from Zambia, arguing the money could have been used to tackle the city’s persistent water shortages instead. The concerns were raised by Public Accounts Committee (PAC) chairperson Steve Malondera after the committee met […]
There is an old rule of politics that voters do not judge governments on rates of change. They judge them on prices. By that standard, President Peter Mutharika’s first year looks rather less impressive than his officials would like. The government’s best exhibit is inflation, which fell from about 29 per cent in October 2025 […]
Malawian households are being hit by a fresh cost of living blow after maize prices rocketed by a staggering 20 per cent in just one month, sparking fresh fears over food affordability across the country. New figures reveal the average retail price of the nation’s staple crop surged to K960 per kilogramme in August — […]
The government is backing a winter maize seed project at Lilongwe University of Agriculture and Natural Resources (LUANAR), aimed at tackling shortages in the availability, affordability and accessibility of seed under this year’s Farm Input Subsidy Programme (FISP). The scheme is being run through LUANAR’s Mega Farm Initiative at Dwangwa in Nkhotakota district, where the […]
Malawian maize is being exported to Kenya to help cover the East African nation’s anticipated shortfall of around 25 million bags, Nyasa Times understands – even as the price of the staple crop soars back home. Kenya’s Agriculture Cabinet Secretary Mutahi Kagwe confirmed his country wants to import maize to strengthen food security amid drought […]
Malawian households are facing fresh pain at the market, after new figures revealed the price of maize — the country’s staple food — has surged by a staggering 8 percent in just a single month. According to the International Food Policy Research Institute’s (Ifpri) Maize Market Report for July 2026, the price of maize climbed […]
A civil society watchdog has demanded an urgent forensic audit and criminal prosecutions after Malawi’s state grain trader admitted losing yet another huge stockpile of maize to spoilage — the latest in a mounting string of scandals plaguing the country’s strategic food reserves. The National Advocacy Platform (NAP) launched its blistering attack after Agriculture Development […]
Lilongwe Mpenu MP Eisenhower Mkaka has blown the lid off what he says is a K100 billion maize‑procurement loan secretly obtained from FDH Bank — and never brought before Parliament for approval. Raising the matter on the floor of the House, the opposition legislator said information reaching his side shows the money government is using […]
A little-known Indian company incorporated barely two years ago has landed a staggering $20.2 million (K35 billion) contract to supply maize to Malawi’s National Food Reserve Agency (NFRA), raising eyebrows over how such a small operation secured one of the country’s biggest food procurement deals. Global Agri Services Limited was only incorporated on 12 March […]
The Malawi government has allocated K100 billion to the National Food Reserve Agency (NFRA) to procure additional maize, in a significant escalation of its preparations for a food crisis anticipated as a result of the El Niño weather phenomenon. The allocation was announced in Parliament on Monday by the Minister of Finance, Joseph Mwanamvekha, who […]
A parliamentary committee has told the government to find market for this year’s surplus market. The parliamentary committee on Agriculture says the government should identify proper export markets for the surplus harvest that is expected this year. The call follows the government’s intention to have the expected surplus exported to avoid wastage. Committee deputy chairperson, […]
Malawi government, through the Ministry of Trade, has defended its decision to export maize, claiming the move will not affect food security of the country. Government has since started issuing maize export licences to allow the economy off-take excess stocks of maize from last year’s harvest for export and to create storage for this year’s […]
Government has given permission for traders to export maize. Ministry of Trade says it has started issuing maize export licences to allow the economy offload excess stocks of maize from last year’s harvest for export. The Ministry says this will create storage room for this year’s harvest. However, Principal Secretary (PS) Christina Zakeyo emphasizes in […]
Balaka district chief agriculture, extension and natural resources officer Denis Zingeni has bemoaned the prolonged dry spells the district has experienced. Zingeni said during a District Civil Protection Committee meeting that 7 467 hectares (ha) of maize crop, three ha of cow peas and four ha of groundnuts have been affected. He said: “This year we […]
Opposition Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) chief whip Simon Vuwa Kaunda has said many Malawians do not have food as they have no farmland as such, government should reduce the price of maize by half so that every household can afford the staple. Vuwa Kaunda was speaking in Parliament on Tuesday in reaction to Minister of Finance […]
A 41-year-old man in Dowa has been killed on allegations that he stole fresh green maize from a garden. Police have since arrested a 49-year-old man on allegation that he killed the suspected thief. The suspect has been identified as Batson Selemani from Ntchenenje Village in Traditional Authority Mkukula whereas the deceased is Andrea Gift […]
Agriculture experts say maize production this year will go up by 17 per cent. This is according to the third round of crop estimates by the Ministry of Agriculture projecting that maize production. The assessment exercise shows the crop yield of 4.4million metric tonnes this year as compared to 3.7 metric tonnes realised in 2020. […]
State produce marketer Agricultural Development and Marketing Corporation (Admarc) has opened its markets earlier than previous years, selling maize at K160 per kilogram. Admarc bought the maize at K200 per kilogram. An economic expert Professor Ben Kalua has described as a political move, the decision by Admarc to sell maize to Malawians at a loss. This […]