Malawi

Harvesting of the main season maize crop started in late April/May and is expected to be completed by June. According to the 2nd round Agricultural Production Estimates Survey (APES) of the Ministry of Agriculture, maize is forecast at 2.96 million tons, a 9% increase compared to last year’s output (Nyasa Times). The increase in maize production is attributed to a 2.4% increase in planted area driven by competitive maize prices and improved rainfall conditions compared to last year in some parts of the country. However, the maize output remains 20% below the 5-year average. The mixed performance (increase compared to last year but down compared to the 5-year average) might be attributed to the early-season dryness and erratic rainfall performance during critical development stages and flooding that disrupted field activities (SADC (Agromet Update, Issue 04, March 2025),FAO, Crop Prospects and Food Situation (March 2025)).