Update: Food access across Malawi is expected to improve this month as the 2026 maize harvest begins, according to an April 9 report by ReliefWeb. Farmers in the southern region have already started consuming maize from the early green harvest. While above-average rainfall supported crop development in most areas, localized dry spells and mid-March flash flooding in central and southern districts like Salima, Nkhotakota, and Blantyre caused some crop damage. As a result, certain southern communities will continue to rely on humanitarian food assistance through the harvest season.
Update: Malawian tobacco farmers face financial strain as the 2026 marketing season opens, with oversupply leaving significant crop volumes unsold at auction floors, Tobacco Journal International reports. Following a surge in production in recent seasons, global supply has caught up with demand, which has softened prices across the market. The surplus adds to the difficulties for smallholder farmers who continue to face high input costs for fertilisers, fuel, and transportation.
In other agricultural news, a new study has linked high levels of antibiotic resistance to poultry farming practices in Malawi, according to an April 8 report by MRCVSonline. Researchers from The Roslin Institute found that keeping chickens in enclosed spaces, using commercial feed, and administering human antibiotics to poultry contributed to the presence of highly resistant E. coli bacteria among farm workers and nearby communities. The research team is now working with Malawi's Antimicrobial Resistance National Coordinating Centre to introduce safer farming practices.