Retail prices of maize in Malawi has increased by 3 percent in September 2026, with the national average price rising from K966 to K997 per kilogramme.

According to the latest maize market report by the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI), the increase was modest, partly due to a stable supply of relatively cheap maize imported from neighbouring countries.

Despite the increase, maize prices remained lower than they were during the same period last year, when the national average stood at K1,361 per kilogramme.

The report further shows that maize prices were highest in the Southern Region, where a kilogramme averaged K1,088, followed by the Central Region at K961. The Northern Region recorded the lowest average price at K796 per kilogramme.

However, maize prices in 24 of the 31 monitored markets had exceeded the government’s minimum farmgate price of K900 per kilogramme by the end of September. In the Northern Region, only Nkhata Bay recorded a retail price at the minimum farmgate level, suggesting that some farmers may have sold their maize below the recommended price.

Meanwhile, Malawi continued to import more maize than it exported through most monitored border points, with limited exports reported at Mqocha/ Jenda in Mzimba and Marka in Nsanje District.