Farmers in the country have raised alarm over the growing presence of vendors in agricultural markets, accusing them of exploiting desperate producers by offering significantly lower prices for farm produce, particularly maize.
Spot-checks in various districts revealed a surge in informal traders buying maize at as low as K460 per kilogramme (kg), translating to about K23 000 per 50kg bag, far below the 2024/25 recommended minimum price.
At Pengapenga Trading Centre along the Lakeshore Road in Ntcheu, vendors are purchasing maize at K2 300 per five-litre bucket, equivalent to K23 000 per 50kg bag.
At Mbulumbudzi Trading Centre in Chiradzulu, the price stands at K500 per kg (K25 000 per 50kg bag), while at Chadzunda, Manyowe and Lunzu in Blantyre, vendors are offering between K550 and K650 per kg. These prices are 50 percent lower than the 2024/25 minimum farmgate price of K1 050 per kg.
But prices are relatively higher in Central Region districts such as Lilongwe, Mchinji and Nkhotakota where maize, largely from the 2024/25 harvest, is selling between K700 and K800 per kg. In contrast, most districts in the Northern Region are yet to begin harvesting for the 2025/26 agricultural season.
In separate interviews, farmers attributed their willingness to sell at low prices to mounting economic pressures and the absence of a structured market.
Patrick Stafford, a smallholder farmer from Njuli in Chiradzulu, said he was forced to sell nearly half of his maize harvest to vendors due to urgent financial needs and the delayed opening of Admarc markets.
“Given my situation, I had no choice but to sell. Admarc is yet to open its markets. It is painful to let go of produce I worked so hard for at such low prices. I sold some maize at as low as K26 000 per 50kg bag,” he said.
Similarly, Thokozani Kwanyasa Phiri from Machinjiri in Blantyre described the prices being offered by vendors as unjust and unsustainable, arguing that they do not reflect the high cost of production.
Reacting to the development, Farmers Union of Malawi chief executive officer Jacob Nyirongo described it as deeply concerning, saying it could worsen poverty levels in a country where the majority depend on smallholder agriculture.
Admarc chief executive officer Ben Botolo said the company was ready to start purchasing produce by end of April or early May but is currently constrained by funding delays and the absence of officially gazetted farmgate prices.
Commenting on the matter, agricultural expert Leonard Chimwaza expressed fear that the continued delay in releasing farmgate prices could have far-reaching consequences on both farmers and national food security.
In an effort to strengthen the institution, the government has allocated K60 billion to Admarc in the 2026/27 National Budget for recapitalisation.
Speaking in Parliament in Lilongwe on Tuesday, Leader of Opposition in Parliament Simplex Chithyola Banda warned that farmers risk exploitation due to government’s delays to announce farmgate prices at the height of the harvest season.
In the 2024/25 agriculture season, the farmgate prices were announced on April 7 amid pressure from agricultural stakeholders.
In response, Minister of Agriculture, Irrigation and Water Development Roza Mbilizi said the prices will be released before the end of the week.
