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Malawi · Section 3 of 9

Production, trade & prices

Maize production ranged between 2.4 and 4.6 million tonnes a year in 2010–2023, with yields of 1.4–2.5 tonnes per hectare, while pigeon peas, groundnuts, soya beans, cassava and sweet potatoes have expanded. Tobacco accounted for 71.4% of agri-food exports in 2025, and the European Union took 37.3% of these exports, while SADC members supplied 61.7% of imports of edible oils, cereals, tobacco and other products. Maize prices reached a record K1,743 per kg in March 2025 and fell to K960 by August 2026.

3.1

Maize

On Ministry of Agriculture estimates maize production ranged between 2.37 and 4.58 million tonnes in 2010–2023, with low harvests in the drought years 2015 and 2016 and a peak in 20211. The 2023/24 harvest fell to 2,712,578 tonnes, 22.7% below the 3,509,837 tonnes of 2022/23, as dry spells affected more than one million hectares and fall armyworm about 700,000 hectares23. Production recovered to 2,859,949 tonnes in 2024/25 and 3,300,618 tonnes in 2025/26, still 5% below the five-year average45.

The area harvested stayed between 1.65 and 1.86 million hectares in 2010–2022, while yields moved between 1.42 and 2.46 tonnes per hectare1. FAOSTAT's 2024 figures for Malawi are external estimates, and the Ministry's estimates are used for 2024–2026.

Maize production
Million tonnes by harvest year, 2010–2026 (Ministry of Agriculture estimates)
Source: FAOSTAT · FEWS NET · IPC — 2010–2023 from FAOSTAT, whose values equal the final round of the Ministry of Agriculture's Agricultural Production Estimates Survey (APES). 2024–2026 are APES final estimates (2,712,578 t, 2,859,949 t and 3,300,618 t) as reported by FEWS NET and the IPC. FAOSTAT's 2024 figure of 3.0 million tonnes is an external estimate and is not used. The 2026 harvest was 5% below the five-year average5.
Maize area and yield
Area harvested, million hectares, and yield, tonnes per hectare, 2010–2022 (FAOSTAT)
Source: FAOSTAT — FAOSTAT shows the 2023 and 2024 area and yield as estimates or external figures, so the chart ends in 2022. Yields stayed between 1.4 and 2.5 tonnes per hectare.
Crop production estimates (APES), 2022/23 and 2023/24
Crop2022/23 final (t)2023/24 second round (t)2023/24 final (t)
Maize3,509,8372,926,1902,712,578
Groundnuts468,045411,279277,591
Rice124,344138,711126,981
Sorghum126,333102,19581,402
Millet49,63137,93033,596
Sunflower15,67416,16712,954
Cotton13,8228,1756,147
Sesame9,68615,03111,031
Source: FEWS NET — Ministry of Agriculture Agricultural Production Estimates Survey, as reproduced by FEWS NET. Maize was estimated at 2,859,949 t in 2024/25 and 3,300,618 t in 2025/2645.
3.2

Legumes, roots and cash crops

Legumes have grown in output. Between 2010 and 2023 pigeon pea production rose from 193,005 to 456,033 tonnes, groundnuts from 297,487 to 468,045 tonnes and soya beans from 73,356 to 235,487 tonnes1. India granted Malawi an annual import quota of 50,000 tonnes of pigeon peas for 2021-22 to 2025-266. Cassava reached 6.20 million tonnes and sweet potatoes 7.61 million tonnes of fresh roots in 20231.

Tobacco production was 120,056 tonnes in 2023 on FAO data1. The Tobacco Commission reported 132.8 million kg sold for US$395.3 million in 2024 and 221 million kg for US$542 million in 2025, while the 2026 season sold 142.4 million kg at an average of US$1.98 per kg in its first 19 weeks789. Contract farming accounted for 87.5% of the volume licensed for 2024/25 (own calculation)10. For tea and sugar FAOSTAT shows estimates of 248,000 tonnes of green tea leaf and 221,104 tonnes of raw sugar in 20231. Seed cotton fell from 244,154 tonnes in 2012 to 13,822 tonnes in 20231.

Groundnuts, soya beans, pigeon peas and beans
Production, thousand tonnes, 2010–2023 (FAOSTAT)
Source: FAOSTAT — The 2024 FAOSTAT values for these crops are imputed or external estimates and are not shown. The APES estimate of groundnuts fell to 277,591 t in 2023/242.
Cassava and sweet potatoes
Production, million tonnes of fresh roots, 2014–2023 (FAOSTAT)
Source: FAOSTAT
Tobacco sold on the auction floors
Volume, million kg, and value, US$ million, marketing seasons 2022–2026 (Tobacco Commission)
Source: TC — Cumulative sales as stated by the Tobacco Commission. The 2026 figure covers the first 19 weeks of a season that closed on 10 September 2026, against 197.2 million kg worth US$500.4 million in the same period of 2025.
Average tobacco price
US$ per kg, all types, marketing seasons 2022–2026 (Tobacco Commission)
Source: TC
Tobacco production
Unmanufactured tobacco, thousand tonnes, 2010–2023 (FAOSTAT)
Source: FAOSTAT — Production basis. Auction-floor sales recorded by the Tobacco Commission are a different series.
Tea and sugar cane
Thousand tonnes, 2010–2023 (FAOSTAT estimates)
Source: FAOSTAT — FAOSTAT flags the tea series as estimated or imputed and most sugar values as figures from external organisations. Sugar cane production was estimated at 2.65 million tonnes in 2023. Made-tea output and company sugar data were not found in an accessible primary source.
Seed cotton
Production, thousand tonnes, 2010–2023 (FAOSTAT)
Source: FAOSTAT
Tobacco marketing seasons, 2020–2026
SeasonVolume sold (million kg)Value (US$ million)Average price (US$/kg)Basis
2020114––Season total
2021123––Season total
2022851822.14Season total
2023120282.62.35Season total
2024132.83395.312.98To 1 August 2024, season closed 2 August
20252215422.45Season total, stated April 2026
2026142.4282.51.98After 19 weeks, season closed 10 September
Source: TC — Values for 2020 and 2021 are volumes only, as stated by the Tobacco Commission. On 3 October 2025 the Commission reported 215 million kg sold for US$533.6 million, and the season closed on 24 October 202513. In the 2024/25 licensing round contract farming accounted for 241.3 million kg of the 275.7 million kg licensed, 87.5% (own calculation)10.
3.3

Livestock and fish

On FAO data goat numbers rose from 3.89 million in 2010 to 12.99 million in 2023, pigs from 1.86 million to 11.51 million and cattle from 1.07 million to 2.19 million1. The Ministry's count for 2025/26 gives 2.33 million cattle, 14.82 million goats and 13.58 million pigs14. Capture fisheries on Lake Malawi and other inland waters landed 190,090 tonnes in 2024, while aquaculture produced 4,800 tonnes1516.

Livestock numbers
Million head, 2010–2023 (FAOSTAT)
Source: FAOSTAT — The Ministry of Agriculture's own 2025/26 count, on a different basis, gives 2.33 million cattle, 14.82 million goats and 13.58 million pigs14.
Fish production
Capture fisheries and aquaculture, thousand tonnes, 2010–2024 (FAO)
Source: WDI
2nd
Pigeon peas
473,662 t world production rank, 2024 (10.2% of world output, FAO imputed value)17
2nd
Sweet potatoes
7.98 Mt world production rank, 202417
8th
Tobacco
119,957 t world production rank, 2024 (second in Africa)17
12th
Tea
247,670 t world rank by green leaf, 202417
Malawi in world production, 2024
ProductWorld rankNumber of producing countriesMalawi production (t)
Pigeon peas226473,662
Sweet potatoes21127,980,473
Unmanufactured tobacco8130119,957
Tea leaves1247247,670
Cassava16976,278,880
Soya beans19108305,000
Groundnuts22108350,000
Maize371693,000,000
Source: FAOSTAT — Own calculation from the FAOSTAT all-countries file. FAOSTAT's 2024 values for Malawi are imputed or taken from external sources, and the Ministry's APES estimate of maize for 2024 was 2,712,578 t.
3.4

Trade

The map shows where Malawi's agri-food products go and where they come from. In 2025 Malawi reported US$855.1 million of agri-food exports and US$457.3 million of imports18. Tobacco made up US$610.3 million of exports, with Belgium (US$169.7 million), China, Egypt, Poland and Türkiye the leading buyers18. Members of the European Union took 37.3% of agri-food exports and SADC members 11.1% (own calculation)18. The United Kingdom (US$23.5 million) and South Africa (US$14.1 million) bought most of the tea and spices, and India US$48.7 million of the US$56.2 million of vegetables and pulses18.

SADC members supplied 61.7% of imports, led by South Africa, Mozambique, Zambia and Tanzania18. Malaysia supplied US$68.5 million of the US$94.8 million of imported fats and oils, and Tanzania US$36.6 million of the US$82.8 million of cereals18. Tobacco imports of US$88.0 million came mainly from Zambia and Mozambique18. Exports have stayed between US$715 million and US$904 million a year since 201519. Maize exports require a licence under the Control of Goods (Export of Maize and Maize Products) Order of 202120.

Agri-food trade partners, 2025
Exports and imports of HS chapters 01–24 by partner country, US$ million (UN Comtrade, as reported by Malawi)
Source: UN Comtrade — HS chapters 01–24 (live animals to tobacco). Raw cotton (HS chapter 52) is not included. Partner values are as reported by Malawi, and 2025 is the latest year Malawi has reported to UN Comtrade. Small territories without a shape on the 1:110m world map appear only in the ranked list.
Where agri-food exports go
Share of agri-food exports (HS 01–24), 2025
EU-27 · 37.3 %SADC members · 11.1 %Rest of the world · 51.6 %
Source: UN Comtrade — Own calculation from UN Comtrade partner data as reported by Malawi. Belgium alone took 20.0%.
Agri-food exports and imports
HS chapters 01–24, US$ million, 2015–2025 (UN Comtrade)
Source: UN Comtrade — Own sums of HS chapters 01–24 as reported by Malawi. Raw cotton (chapter 52) is not included. Imports reported for 2022 (US$150.6 million) are about half of adjacent years and lower in most chapters.
Agri-food export groups by HS chapter
Exports by HS chapter, US$ million, 2015–2025
Source: UN Comtrade — Customs export values. Tobacco export values differ from the Tobacco Commission's auction-floor sales, which cover sales in each marketing season. Chapter 07 includes dried pulses such as pigeon peas, and chapter 12 includes soya beans and groundnuts.
Agri-food exports by product group, 2025
HS chapters, US$ million
Source: UN Comtrade — Tobacco accounted for 71.4% of agri-food exports in 2025 (own calculation).
Agri-food imports by product group, 2025
HS chapters, US$ million
Source: UN Comtrade — Tobacco imports came mainly from Zambia and Mozambique, and cereal imports mainly from Tanzania, Australia and Russia.
Largest agri-food trade partners, 2025
PartnerExports (US$ million)PartnerImports (US$ million)
Belgium171.1South Africa75.8
China61.4Mozambique72.2
India49.5Malaysia69.0
United States42.1Zambia58.5
Egypt35.8Tanzania58.4
Poland33.4Australia21.1
Türkiye32.5Kenya15.6
Zimbabwe30.0Russia11.6
South Africa28.6Zimbabwe8.7
United Kingdom24.9Argentina8.6
Total, all partners855.1Total, all partners457.3
Source: UN Comtrade — HS chapters 01–24 as reported by Malawi to UN Comtrade.
3.5

Prices

Maize prices rose after the 2024 drought. The national average retail price was K512 per kg in January 2023, K1,283 in January 2025 and K1,743 on 5–6 March 2025, which IFPRI described as record-beating, before falling to K727 in June 2026 after the harvest and K960 in August 20262122232425. Commercial fertiliser prices also rose. A 50 kg bag of urea cost about MWK 17,430 in November 2020 and MWK 201,719 in September 2026 on average across WFP-monitored markets (own calculation)26.

Retail maize prices
National average, MWK per kg, last week of each month, January 2023 – August 2026 (IFPRI)
Source: IFPRI — IFPRI Malawi maize market reports, value stated in each month's report (later reports sometimes revise the previous month). April 2023, April 2024 and April 2026 show old-crop prices. For the final week of April 2026 the May 2026 report gives K75064. The March 2026 report gives K1,041 in the text and K1,043 in Table 1. The national average reached K1,743 per kg on 5–6 March 2025, which IFPRI described as record-beating23.

Sources cited on this page

  1. FAOSTAT Crops and livestock products (QCL), bulk download, All_Data and Africa CSV files, release dated 23 Dec 2025 (ZIP/CSV) — Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nationsverified
  2. Malawi Food Security Outlook October 2024 - May 2025 (HTML) — Famine Early Warning Systems Networkverified
  3. Malawi Food Security Outlook June 2024 - January 2025 (HTML) — Famine Early Warning Systems Networkverified
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