Update: Following previous coverage of falling agricultural commodity values, the Farmers Union of Malawi has formally criticised the government's 2025/2026 minimum farm gate prices for maize. According to Nation Online, the Ministry of Agriculture reduced the recommended maize price to K900 per kilogramme, a drop from K1,050 last year. Union President Manes Nkhata stated that the union had proposed a minimum of K1,200 per kilogramme. She warned that the lower rate is a raw deal that could discourage farmers from planting maize and ultimately reduce national production.
Update: In a related agricultural development, the Tobacco Commission has announced dates for the start of the 2026 tobacco marketing season, building on earlier output forecasts. Yoneco FM reports that trading will officially begin on April 20 at the Kanengo floors in Lilongwe. The Chinkhoma and Limbe markets are scheduled to open on April 21 and April 23, respectively, and farmers have been authorised to begin delivering their leaf to the auction floors as of April 13.
Update: As high commercial fertiliser costs continue to press rural communities, smallholder farmers in northern Malawi are expanding their use of alternative agricultural methods. According to DanChurchAid, a Danida-funded project in Rumphi District is helping residents secure enough grain to survive the lean season. Farmers are maintaining crop outputs by planting resilient local maize varieties and applying Mbeya fertiliser, a locally produced mixture made from maize bran, ash, and animal dung.