Update: Malawi officially opened its 2026 tobacco marketing season at the Kanengo Auction Floors in Lilongwe, with officials addressing the anticipated market imbalance. According to Nyasa Times, the country is starting the season with a 27 million kilogram tobacco surplus, as growers are projected to produce 197 million kilograms against a buyer demand of only 170 million kilograms. At the opening ceremony, Agriculture Minister Roza Fatch Mbilizi urged registered buyers not to take advantage of the overproduction by purchasing below market prices, as reported by Substack journalist Winston Mwale.
Speaking at the same event, Minister Mbilizi stressed the need for domestic processing to support the local economy. According to Maravi Express, she called for increased investment in local value addition so Malawi can stop exporting tobacco in raw or semi-processed forms.
Update: Global supply chain disruptions linked to the conflict in the Middle East are continuing to push up local fertiliser prices, threatening winter crop production. According to Nyasa Times, the Fertiliser Association of Malawi stated that 35 percent of the country's urea imports and 23 percent of phosphate-based fertilisers rely on the affected Strait of Hormuz shipping route. Because of these delays, retail prices have spiked locally, with a 50-kilogram bag of urea rising from K150,000 in February to approximately K185,000.