Maize prices increased by 13 percent in February, marking an end of a streak of price declines that started in October last year due to surging imports meant to stabilise supply, a new report has indicated.
The International Food Policy Research Institute (Ifpri) data show that the average price of maize was K1 111 per kilogramme (kg) or K55 550 per 50kg bag from K977 per kg or K48 850 per kg in January.
Reads part of the report: “After an unexpected slump that started in mid-January, national average maize prices rebounded again in the first half of February before slightly declining in the second half of the month.
“The net increase in prices in the month of February from K977 per kg in the last week of January to K1 111 per kg in the last week of February thus represents a return back to a longer-term trend of very slow overall decline that started in October 2025.”
Prices, according to the report, were lowest in the Northern Region and highest in the Southern Region. The prices averaged K928 per kg in the Northern Region, K1 111 per kg in the Central Region and K1 173 per kg in the Southern Region.
However, Ifpri said that in February, informal maize cross-border trade continued to be dominated by net imports across most monitored border posts, with particularly strong inflows from the neighbouring Mozambique.
“The exception to the overall trend of net imports were the posts in Mchinji, Mqocha/Jenda and Mbirima, which recorded net exports of maize,” reads the report.
The rise comes a month after average retail prices of maize declined by 16 percent in January, which was contrary to typical lean-season patterns as it rose by 21 percent in the corresponding period last year.
In an interview on Sunday, Economics Association of Malawi president Bertha Bangara-Chikadza said inflation trends highlight the country’s underlying food pressures that need to be addressed by irrigation initiatives.
“Expanding off-season production through winter cropping and large-scale irrigation schemes which will enable farmers to grow maize in multiple cycles each year is critical to close seasonal supply gaps,” she said.
On her part, Centre for Social Concern economic governance programmes officer Agnes Nyirongo described the recent easing of maize prices as a temporary relief that emanated from maize imports from Zambia by the Malawi Government.
Consumers Association of Malawi executive director John Kapito said the rise in maize prices was inevitable because the recent drop was induced by the increased maize imports.
Malawi’s inflation rate dropped to 24.9 percent in January from 26 percent in December 2025 due to maize price drop.
