Tag Archives: Malawi food crisis

Agriculture

Minister Mbilizi vows support towards vulnerable households as Malawi ramps up food security initiatives

Burnett Munthali

LILONGWE-(MaraviPost)-The Minister of Agriculture, Irrigation and Water Development, Rosa Fatch Mbilizi, has assured Malawians that the government under the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) will ensure that no citizen dies of hunger.

The Minister made the remarks on 1 November 2025 during the launch of the 2025–2026 Lean Season Food Insecurity Response Programme at Chinguni Primary School in Traditional Authority Sitola in Machinga district.

Mbilizi explained that the six-month programme aims to support vulnerable households affected by food shortages across the country.

In her speech, the Minister emphasized the importance of adopting modern agricultural practices, including the use of climate-resilient seed varieties and irrigation farming, to enhance productivity and strengthen national food security.

“The government is intensifying investments in irrigation schemes, the Greenbelt Initiative, and the establishment of mega farms as part of efforts to achieve food self-sufficiency,” the Minister said.

The World Food Programme (WFP) Country Director, Hyoung-joon Lim, reaffirmed the organization’s commitment to partnering with the government to reach four million vulnerable Malawians affected by hunger.

He further said that WFP will also provide nutritional support to over 100,000 children and food assistance to more than 100,000 school learners.

Speaking during the event, Paramount Chief Kawinga urged traditional leaders to ensure transparency and fairness in selecting beneficiaries.

He also encouraged community members to report any cases of corruption or abuse to guarantee that the assistance reaches those who need it most.

Agriculture

NFRA raises maize buying price to boost supply and combat hoarding

Jones Gadama

The National Food Reserve Agency (NFRA) has increased the maize buying price in a bid to boost supply and curb hoarding.

NFRA Chief Executive Officer George Macheka announced in Lilongwe that the agency will now pay MK1,280 per kilogram in open and rural markets, up from MK1,100. Registered mega farmers will receive a higher price of MK1,300 per kilogram.

Macheka explained that the price adjustment responds to reduced deliveries to NFRA depots and aims to outbid private traders who fuel speculation.

This move is part of the agency’s efforts to ensure adequate maize stocks and food security in Malawi.

So far, the strategic grain reserve has collected 37,579 metric tonnes of maize. Of the collected maize, 10,354 tonnes have been released, with 8,978 tonnes allocated to Dodma for emergency stockpiling and 1,376 tonnes to Admarc for price stabilization.

The government has provided NFRA with K30 billion out of the K40 billion budgeted for maize purchases.

Macheka also disclosed that maize is being imported from Tanzania at K943 per kilogram under a government-to-government deal.

However, he emphasized that supporting local farmers remains the priority.

“We cannot, as an institution, just stay and let Malawians suffer… if we don’t buy [enough] now, come December, January, the situation will be pathetic.”

Opinion, Politics

Malawi’s manifesto maze: The hard truth about who truly holds the key

Jones Gadama

After a thorough and painstaking examination of the 2025-2030 manifestos from Malawi’s three major political parties—the MCP, the People’s Party (PP), and the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) — it is time to lay bare the hard truth.

As a columnist committed to speaking unvarnished realities, I have sifted through promises, plans, and political posturing to expose what each party truly offers Malawians.

The hard truth is that while MCP’s manifesto is mired in wishful thinking and lack of clarity, the PP shows glimpses of pragmatism, but it is the DPP manifesto that stands tall as a credible, detailed blueprint for Malawi’s future.

Let me start with the MCP. The hard truth is that their manifesto reads like a collection of lofty slogans lacking specificity, coherence, and practical grounding.

The MCP claims to prioritize nutrition programmes, social protection, and food security, presenting a laundry list of commitments: hot meals in schools, support for vulnerable groups, sourcing food from local farmers, ending malnutrition by 2030, and much more.

Yet, when you drill down, the manifesto is more about feel-good rhetoric than actionable frameworks. Where is the detailed funding mechanism? How will these goals be measured or enforced?

The hard truth is the MCP government’s overuse of buzzwords like “justice,” “resilience,” and “investment” cannot substitute for concrete policy.

Worse still, the MCP manifesto shows a disturbing detachment from reality. They speak of “fully embracing social protection” and “breaking the cycle of poverty” while Malawi’s socio-economic indicators continue to deteriorate under their watch.

The hard truth is their promises come across as political theatre, a desperate attempt to mask years of governance marked by economic instability and policy inconsistency.

The manifesto’s vague language betrays a lack of confidence that they truly know the path forward — or even their own manifesto.

Now, a fair comment on the People’s Party manifesto reveals a mixed bag. The hard truth is that the PP’s focus on youth development and vocational training reflects a vital area that has been neglected for too long.

Their recognition of youth as a differentiated and diverse group, and the acknowledgment that youth empowerment requires structural reforms, shows a more nuanced understanding than MCP’s broad strokes.

Proposals to create a separate Ministry of Youth and Vocational Training and reform the Technical and Vocational Education Training Authority (TEVETA) are steps in the right direction.

However, the hard truth is that the PP’s manifesto, while pragmatic, remains somewhat limited in scope and lacks a comprehensive vision for economic recovery and food security. It is a manifesto that talks a lot about youth but less about how Malawi’s immediate and pressing crises will be tackled head-on.

Finally, the hard truth about the DPP manifesto is that it emerges as the only plan that truly maps out destinations for Malawi’s progress.

The DPP’s manifesto is a call to proven leadership, grounded in an unparalleled track record of economic management. Unlike the others, the DPP does not drown itself in vague promises or abstract ideals.

It offers clear commitments to restoring stability, fostering partnerships with international development partners, protecting press freedom, and ensuring a conducive environment for civil society—all critical pillars for a functioning democracy and growth.

The hard truth is that the DPP’s approach is rooted in realism and experience.

Their pledge to collaborate with the media without intimidation, to respect commitments to partners, and to address student and public servant concerns is a testament to a government that understands governance is about delivery, not empty rhetoric.

Their call for Malawians to “vote for the DPP and its leadership” because they “promise what they deliver” is backed by a history of pragmatic decisions and economic stewardship that others lack.

Moreover, the DPP manifesto’s emphasis on stability, economic recovery, and social cohesion is the blueprint Malawi desperately needs.

The hard truth is that in a country where political instability and economic mismanagement have sapped hope, only a party with a proven track record can realistically promise a positive trajectory to success.

To be blunt, the MCP’s manifesto reads like a political fantasy, detached from the practical needs and realities on the ground.

Their failure to present a credible plan or to acknowledge the gravity of Malawi’s challenges is not just disappointing—it is dangerous.

The hard truth is that Malawi cannot afford to gamble its future on empty slogans and wishful thinking.

The PP, while showing promising ideas on youth empowerment, still lacks a comprehensive and cohesive plan to tackle the broader socio-economic challenges Malawi faces.

The hard truth is that youth development, though critical, cannot be isolated from the overall national development agenda.

In contrast, the DPP stands as the only party with a manifesto that reflects understanding, maturity, and a commitment to results.

The hard truth is that Malawi needs leadership that can navigate the complexities of governance with a steady hand — and that leadership is found in the DPP’s blueprint.

After scrutinizing all three manifestos, the verdict is clear: Malawi deserves more than platitudes and political grandstanding. The hard truth is that only the DPP has offered a roadmap grounded in reality and experience, one that can truly steer the nation toward progress and prosperity.

The choice for Malawians on election day is a choice between empty promises and proven leadership — and the hard truth is that Malawi’s future depends on making the right choice.

Human Rights

WFP urges global support as Malawi faces looming food crisis triggered by El Niño

Ufulu

LILONGWE – The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) is appealing for urgent resources to deliver life-saving food assistance to two million people reeling from the devastating impacts of drought, exacerbated by the effects of El Niño. This comes just days after Malawi’s President Lazarus Chakwera declared a state of disaster.

The El Niño impact is exacerbating the devastating effects of the climate crisis in Malawi. The country is still suffering from the impacts of tropical storms and cyclones in 2022 and 2023 and the compounded effect is to push up to 40 percent of Malawi’s population into hunger, threatening both lives and livelihoods. Prolonged dry spells have damaged crops in Southern and Central regions, while flooding has washed away crops in Northern and Central areas.

UN steps up support to Malawi following deadly cyclone

As national maize stocks run low, the country has been forced to import staple commodities, driving food prices to alarming levels. Maize prices nearly doubled in just one year and tripled against the five-year average. With over 80 percent of the population relying on agriculture to cover basic needs, the steep decline in staple crops such as maize, rice, soya beans, cowpeas and groundnuts has been devastating for millions of people.

“The impact is huge, and so are the needs,” said Paul Turnbull, WFP Country Director and Representative in Malawi. “We can avert a hunger catastrophe for the hardest hit families, but time is not on our side. I’m calling on the international community to step up now and help us save lives.”

On 23 March, Malawi’s President Lazarus Chakwera declared a State of Disaster, in 23 out of Malawi’s 28 districts affected by El Niño conditions. The Government’s preliminary assessment is that close to two million farming households and 749,000 hectares, representing 44 percent of the national crop area have been affected. As a result, the onset of the 2024/2025 lean season is anticipated to be earlier and more severe than usual. WFP will cover part of the food assistance requirements and needs US$ 70 million to provide emergency food assistance to two million people for three months, delivering a combination of in-kind and cash to affected households. Given the long lead times to procure food to address dire humanitarian needs, WFP aims to pre-position supplies by October to mitigate the impact of the coming lean season.

Collaborating with the Malawi Government, particularly the Department of Disaster Management Affairs (DODMA), WFP will continue to ensure effective logistics support for the transportation of maize. WFP can also provide procurement and transport services to import cereals.

Notes: The El Niño impact is exacerbating the devastating effects of the climate crisis in Malawi. The country is still suffering from the impacts of tropical storms and cyclones in 2022 and 2023 and the compounded effect is to push up to 40 percent of Malawi’s population into hunger, threatening both lives and livelihoods.

Malawi, Opinion

When Malawians cannot afford food on the table

Maravi Post Author

By Burnett Munthali

We are living in a nation where corruption is more fashionable than to develop the country. Our state has grown so corrupt that all arms of government and department are corrupt. The executive, the judiciary, legislature are all infected with corruption. My question is, who will investigate, arrest, convict and report these suspects in Malawi?

Spectra of hunger looms for some parts of Malawi

It is confusing that we have corruption everywhere. Our ethical values are not important anymore.

There is definitely something wrong the way we are raising children right from family, religion, school, locations, villages and areas, the books we read and what we watch, the music we listen to and what we say, the friends who we play with and communities around us.

The level of corruption in all corners of Malawi tells us one thing. Everything that we are doing is leading to nothing which means the foundations of our humanity are all broken.

We don’t believe in anything but destruction of our society and self image. We are actually worshipping the devil right in the church and other holy places.

I am not puzzled by pastors. They are the worst leaders because they are used to leading the silent congregation which doesn’t criticize them often times but choose to suffer in silence. Malawians will continue to struggle due to poor leadership. Visionary leaders transform nations as they are there to take the right direction and show people the direction to take.

The Hi 5 Malawi Congress Party (MCP) slogan is just an empty promise because the one who used it on the political podium doesn’t understand it by any standards. He simply chose to use the ideologies like a kindergarten child who is learning to memorise days of the week and thinks that is being intelligent to stand in front of a nursery class and start teaching.

The recent drama episode which took place when Vice President, Dr. Saulos Chilima was implicated in the Sattar’s corruption scandal and Martha Chizuma’s selective justice is a pure sign of cowardice. She only targets to arrest suspects from the opposition Democratic Progressive Party, leaving Chilima and Eisenhower Mkaka free all this while. Slowly the evidence of the case is being destroyed. A waste of time and resources. Protecting certain individuals in disguise.

Take time to know your leaders before you vote for them just as you need to take your time before you marry your wife. Unfortunately, Malawi is always in a hurry when doing things. Very unfortunate.

Corruption has reached its highest peak today more than ever before and this government is a huge embarrassment. Tonse government is in the forefront of corruption and stealing.

Malawians have become poorer than ever before instead of become financially better. The hope most people had in the Chakwera government is lost.

Malawians are speechless spectators as they struggle to even eat decent meals each day. I was perturbed one day when a man bought nsima without any relish at a restaurant. He started eating his nsima with salt solution as an alternative for relish.

I felt sad when I heard from a neighbour who opened up and said to us that life has become very tough nowadays for their family than ever before. They now miss lunch everyday and manage to eat supper only.

The majority of Malawians with low income have become very poor within two years of Tonse leadership. Poverty is real and being created each day.

Millions of jobs have been badly affected as the people’s buying power keeps going down.

Many families cannot afford to have breakfast every morning yet they were able to have just some two years ago. Pa ground sipali bwino for sure and poverty is becoming real.

Disclaimer: The views expressed in the article are those of the author not necessarily of The Maravi Post or Editor