By Santos Zafania
Government measures in the maize market have helped ease Malawi’s food inflation, with staple maize prices stabilising and contributing to a drop in headline inflation to 24.9 per cent in January from 26.0 per cent in December.
The decline is linked to improved maize supply and strategic releases by the National Food Reserve Agency (NFRA), which have stabilised the staple and eased the cost of living for households.
Economic analyst Benedicto Nkhoma said the fall in inflation reflects effective management of the food supply, noting that maize carries significant weight in the consumer price index.
“The reduction in headline inflation is largely on account of improved maize supply and strategic releases by NFRA. This has helped ease food inflation, which carries significant weight on the consumer basket,” Nkhoma said.
He advised households to prioritise essential needs and exercise strict spending discipline to manage non-food price pressures.
The decline in maize prices was also noted in Parliament on Monday by UTM Leader in Parliament Felix Njawala, who commended the government for easing the burden on Malawians.
“I want to commend the government that the maize price has gone down now. You know, it contributes a lot to our inflation. That is why food inflation is going down,” Njawala said.
He contrasted this with the period under the previous Malawi Congress Party government, noting that maize prices were high despite sufficient crop availability.
“You know, our colleagues in the Malawi Congress Party are claiming that maize was already in Malawi. I find it very hard to understand why maize that was in Malawi was being sold at a very high price, punishing Malawians,” he added.
Both Njawala and Nkhoma emphasised that sustaining the gains requires continued strategic interventions.
Njawala urged the government to maintain measures that stabilised maize prices while addressing foreign exchange shortages to support essential imports, while Nkhoma highlighted the importance of continued focus on food supply management and household spending discipline.
In his recent State of the Nation Address, President Arthur Peter Mutharika expressed optimism that ongoing fiscal consolidation and structural reforms would help maintain macroeconomic stability and sustain the downward trend in inflation.
