BLANTYRE-(MaraviPost)-The sharp rise in fertilizer prices few months before the start of Malawi’s 2026/27 farming season has renewed concerns over food security, agricultural productivity and the country’s fragile economic recovery.
With agriculture contributing about a quarter of Malawi’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP), employing nearly 80 percent of the population and generating most of the country’s export earnings, the cost and availability of fertilizer remain central to Malawi’s economic stability.
The latest increase has come at a difficult time for many farmers who are still recovering from consecutive seasons marked by drought, erratic rainfall, cyclones, high inflation and poor market returns for their produce.
As preparations for the next planting season gather pace, many fear they may not afford sufficient fertilizer, a situation experts warn could reduce crop yields, increase food prices and slow economic growth.
A recent spot-check by several media houses established that a 50-kilogram bag of fertilizer is now selling for about MK210,000 in some markets, including Kasungu and Jenda, representing one of the earliest and steepest price increases seen before the onset of the farming season.
For many farmers, the rising prices have deepened uncertainty.
One farmer in at Jenda Trading Centre in Kasungu, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said poor earnings from this year’s crops have left many farmers without enough capital to purchase farm inputs.
“Many crops, including tobacco, have performed poorly on the market. We fear that we will face severe hardship if fertilizer prices remain at this level because most farmers do not have enough money,” the farmer said.
The concerns are echoed by the Farmers Union of Malawi (FUM), which says many farmers are already selling their produce below the cost of production.
FUM Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Jacob Nyirongo warned that the mismatch between production costs and farm-gate prices is discouraging investment in agriculture.
“The current market prices are not equivalent to the cost of production, particularly considering the high prices of farm inputs like fertilizer during the previous growing season.
“Unless this situation improves, farmers will be discouraged from investing in future production, and that poses a serious threat to the country’s food security,” said Nyirongo.
Agricultural economist Professor Patrick Kambewa described the situation as a food policy dilemma,arguing that policies aimed at keeping food affordable for consumers often come at the expense of fair returns for farmers, making agriculture less profitable for producers.
If many farmers reduce fertilizer application or cultivate smaller pieces of land, economists warn Malawi could experience lower maize production, rising food inflation and slower economic growth.
Since agriculture supports manufacturing, transport, trade and export earnings, a poor harvest would have consequences well beyond the farming sector.
The fertilizer price surge has also revived debate over Malawi’s heavy dependence on imported fertilizer.
Every year the country spends billions of kwacha in scarce foreign exchange importing fertilizer, exposing local prices to exchange rate depreciation, global commodity price fluctuations, shipping costs and transport expenses.
Experts have consistently argued that expanding local fertilizer production offers one of the most sustainable solutions to stabilising prices, reducing import dependence and improving national food security.
Against this backdrop, businessman Napoleon Dzombe’s Mulalo Fertilizer Factory in Dowa has attracted significant national attention.
The plant is expected to become Malawi’s first large-scale locally owned granular fertilizer manufacturing facility, with the capacity to produce between 30 and 40 metric tonnes of fertilizer per hour once fully operational.
The project is widely expected to reduce import costs, save foreign exchange, create employment opportunities and improve fertilizer availability for farmers.
After months of regulatory processes, the Malawi Environmental Protection Authority (MEPA) recently granted the factory a production licence, paving the way for commercial production to begin.
The approval has raised hopes that locally manufactured fertilizer could eventually ease prices and improve access to farm inputs.
Although industry observers caution that the impact will depend on production volumes, distribution capacity and market competition.
Government has also moved to cushion vulnerable farmers through international support.
As Malawi prepares for the next planting season, the Kingdom of Morocco has donated 1,000 metric tonnes of fertilizer, with the latest consignment of 500 metric tonnes received by the Ministry of Agriculture following an earlier delivery in February.
Receiving the donation at the Smallholder Farmers Fertilizer Revolving Fund of Malawi (SFFRFM) warehouses in Blantyre, Minister of Agriculture, Irrigation and Water Development Roza Fatch Mbilizi described the support as timely.
“We are grateful for this donation because it comes at an important time when we are preparing for planting. This is the time we are looking for fertilizer for our smallholder farmers,” said Mbilizi.
She said the fertilizer will be distributed according to the Department of Disaster Management Affairs (DoDMA) vulnerability assessment report, with priority given to vulnerable households, particularly those engaged in winter cropping under irrigation schemes.
Mbilizi added that government has already identified districts likely to experience severe food insecurity and has developed interventions aimed at reducing the impact of future disasters.
The Moroccan Ambassador to Malawi, Mohammad Oumiyer, said the donation reflects the strong friendship and cooperation between the two countries and is intended to help smallholder farmers increase agricultural productivity and strengthen their livelihoods.
The donation follows President Arthur Peter Mutharika’s declaration of a State of Disaster in food-insecure districts after poor harvests during the previous agricultural season.
While the Moroccan assistance is expected to benefit thousands of vulnerable households, analysts note that it represents only a fraction of Malawi’s national fertilizer requirements.
They argue that long-term solutions lie in increasing domestic production, improving access to affordable agricultural finance, strengthening input markets and ensuring farmers receive fair prices for their produce.
For now, however, many farmers remain caught between soaring fertilizer prices and low commodity prices.
Unless the cost of production falls or farmers earn better returns from their harvests, many may reduce cultivation or apply less fertilizer during the coming season.
The stakes are high. Reduced fertilizer use could lower national food production, push maize prices higher, fuel inflation and weaken economic growth.
But if local fertilizer manufacturing at the Mulalo Fertilizer Factory succeeds alongside government interventions and targeted support programmes, Malawi could move closer to reducing its dependence on imports, strengthening food security and building a more resilient agricultural economy.
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