A new report from the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) warns that Malawi is facing a national nutrition emergency, according to Nyasa Times. The cost of a healthy diet has more than doubled over the past eight years, rising from $2.38 in 2017 to $5.01 per day in 2025. Agricultural experts, including Farmers Union of Malawi president Maness Nkhata, attribute the crisis to policies heavily focused on maize production. These policies have left other nutritious foods like fruits, vegetables, and legumes underfunded and unaffordable for the average citizen.
Update: The ongoing scrutiny over fertiliser procurement has escalated, with Agriculture Minister Roza Fatchi Mbilizi accusing trading cartels of attempting to derail government reform plans, allAfrica reports. The minister is advocating for the Smallholder Farmers Fertiliser Revolving Fund of Malawi to bypass traditional middlemen and purchase stock directly from manufacturers. Officials state that the direct procurement model aims to reduce costs for farmers and protect the national agricultural sector from global supply chain disruptions.
Meanwhile, the Agricultural Development and Marketing Corporation (ADMARC) has begun recruiting for key management positions, including a Director of Finance and a Monitoring and Evaluation Officer, according to Careers Malawi. The new hiring phase follows a corporate restructuring by the ADMARC board of directors. This restructuring involved retrenching previous staff to introduce new skill sets and improve the operational performance of the statutory corporation.