Update on Malawi's Tobacco Market: Following earlier forecasts of oversupply, the Tobacco Commission announced the sector earned a record $540 million during the previous marketing season, a 37 percent increase in revenue. According to Reuters and the Ecofin Agency, export volumes surged by 66 percent to 221,000 metric tons. This successfully offset an average price drop from $2.98 to $2.45 per kilogram. As the 2026 marketing season prepares to open on April 20, Tobacco Commission spokesperson Telephorus Chigwenembe confirmed oversupply will continue to dictate market conditions, as reported by Tobacco Reporter. The national crop is forecast at 197,000 tons against an international buyer demand of 170,000 tons.
Update on the Mega Farms Initiative: To address ongoing maize production challenges, the government's Mega Farms Unit has launched targeted skills training for state-backed agricultural projects. According to the Malawi Broadcasting Corporation, Director of Mega Farms Henry Msatilomo stated that institutions tasked with national food security, such as the Green Belt Authority, the Malawi Prison Service, and the Malawi Defence Force, have performed below expectations in their maize production mandates. Backed by the Food and Agriculture Organization, the new training programme targets operational gaps in agronomy, irrigation, and mechanisation to boost yields to a minimum of four metric tonnes of maize per hectare.