Tag Archives: International Food Policy Research Institute (Ifpri)

Business, Malawi

Chakwera fails to fix Malawi’s ailing economy in fours

Maravi Post Reporter

By Deus Chikalaza

BLANTYRE-(MaraviPost)-Since President Lazarus Chakwera took government in Malawi in June 2020, life has been unbearable for a common Malawian. Day in and day out prices of commodities keep rising without any cushion to the citizens.

Salaries of civil servants have remained constant regardless seeing prices of Food, Fertilizer, Fuel, Water, and Electricity rising. Nothing seems to add up for people under the Malawi Congress Party (MCP) regime.

Businesses have collapsed after being choked by a lack of Forex, high bank interest rates, and excessive taxes.

Calling aspade~aspade Chakwera was not ready hence, he never deserved to rule Malawi portrayed by his failures. Untold struggle, hunger, and poverty continue to loom through Malawians because of his poor economic policies.

It is now clear that Chakwera had no single plan to achieve with the nation except removing the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) from government.

From Saulos Chilima to Felix Mlusu then Sosten Gwengwe now Simplex Chithyola Chakwera continues to do try and error to see which human being befits the Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning.

According to the research findings published by the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) maize prices have surged with 23% just between May and June.

Maize that was sold at MK50 000/ 50KG in May is now sold at MK61,500/ 50 KG on the black market.

It concludes to say that the southern region followed by the north remains the hardest hit by hunger possibly due to erratic rains and poor distribution of fertilizer and other Farm inputs.

In the 2024-2025 financial year, the Chakwera government was accused of allocation of 84% of its national budget to the central region, 9% North, and only 7% in the Southern region.

In a separate report, the World bank through the Malawi Economic Monitor (MEM), has declared Chakwera a failure as the road to Malawi’s economic recovery looks blurred due to the predicted worsening of poverty in 2024 and 2025.

Business, Malawi, Top News

Malawi’s maize price up 18%-IFPRI report

Maravi Post Reporter

LILONGWE-(MaraviPost)-Malawi has recorded an average retail maize price increase of 18 percent in February 2018, according to a published International Food Policy Research Institute (Ifpri) maize market report.

The average maize retail price was recorded at MK114 per kilogramme (kg) during the month under review.
Maize traders wait to sell their produce.

However, despite the price hike recorded over the last two months, retail maize prices are almost MK100 per kg lower than in February last year, when the average maize price recorded by Ifpri was MK21 0 per kg.

The price of the staple has in recent months been stable on account of oversupply of the commodity on the market with Finance Minister Goodall Gondwe indicating that the country has about 240 000 metric tonnes (MT) in grain reserves and about 190 000 MT in Agricultural Development Marketing Corporation (Admarc) warehouses.

The oversupply of the commodity consequently pushed down inflation to 7.1 percent in December 2017.
However, the rising maize prices have had a negative impact with inflation slowly inching up by 1 percentage points to 8.1 percent in January.

Grain Traders Association of Malawi (Gtam) president Grace Mijiga Mhango told the Nation Newspaper that while it is expected that maize prices increase between January and March, speculation has negatively impacted pricing despite the availability of maize.

“There is information going around that we could have food shortage due to the dry spell and the fall armyworms. As a result, some traders are hoarding maize thereby creating a temporary deficit; hence, the rising prices.

“But we should also remember that this is the start of the lean season and we expect maize prices to go up and we can safely say that the prices are still relatively normal as compared to the previous years,” Mhango explained.

Commenting on the rising maize prices, Consumers Association of Malawi (Cama) president John Kapito said it is disappointing to note that government officials are fueling speculation, which is coming at the expense of consumers.

In 2016/2017 growing season, Malawi harvested around 3.4 million MT of maize with an annual requirement of 3.2 million MT.