By Mcloyd Chilangiza:
Malawi’s national average retail maize price rose by 8 percent in July 2026, a development attributed to the ongoing seasonal depletion of 2025-26 supplies.
This is according to an International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) maize market report.
According to the report, the national average retail price increased from K731 per kilogramme (kg) in the final week of June to K791 per kg in the final week of July.
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The report notes that despite the slight rise, the July average price remained 32 percent below the K1,169 per kg price recorded during the corresponding period last year.
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The price also remained below the government’s K900 per kg farmgate price, raising concerns over farmers’ returns despite rising retail prices.
According to IFPRI, the price of maize was highest in the Southern Region with an average price of K866 per kg compared with K773 per kg in the Central Region and K618 per kg in the Northern Region.
“Prices in the South increased by 14 percent between the final week of June and the final week of July, while prices in the Centre rose by 4 percent.
“In contrast, prices in the North fell by 1 percent over the same period,” the report reads.
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IFPRI also found that Malawi imported more maize than it exported through all monitored border locations in July, which stabilised domestic prices.
Commenting on the price outlook, Grain Traders Association of Malawi President Grace Mijiga said despite the rise, the prices were still low, a development which could affect maize production in the 2026-27 agricultural season.
Mijiga also argued that exchange-rate distortions were weakening the competitiveness of Malawian farmers to others in countries such as Zambia and Mozambique.
“It’s a very unfortunate development because it means farmers will not benefit. Although prices have gone up, they are still below the government-stipulated price of K900 per kilogramme,” Mijiga said.
CCAP Synod of Livingstonia Development Department Executive Director Ken Sakala warned that persistently low producer prices could discourage farmers from expanding maize production, particularly as input costs remain elevated.
“Farmers are comparing the cost of production with what they are seeing in the market and asking themselves whether they will make a profit. If this continues, people may become discouraged from cultivating maize, and that could worsen food insecurity,” he said.
