Food prices remain high as farmers harvest their crops
• As the rainfall season comes to a close, most households in the country are in the process of harvesting their crops. While overall staple maize prices have reduced slightly since March, as expected during harvest time, current prices are still more than double last year’s levels.
• The food security situation has improved across the country as harvests continue, increasing household food stocks. Additionally, income from the sale of cash crops during the May-July period is expected to allow rural households to meet their livelihood protection and food needs. Minimal (IPC Phase 1) acute food insecurity outcomes are expected between May and June (Figure 1).
• Between July and September, the food security situation will likely begin to deteriorate in localized areas in the central and northern region, where some households experienced low crop yields due to dry spells. It is expected that poor rural households will begin to deplete their food stocks and run out of cash from crop sales, resulting in Stressed (IPC Phase 2) acute food insecurity outcomes in some districts in Southern Lakeshore (SLA), Kasungu Lilongwe Plains (KAS), Mzimba Self Sufficient (MZS), and Western Rumphi and Mzimba (WRM) livelihood zones during this period (Figure 2).
• Informal cross border trade records for April show increases in both imports and exports for the staple maize grain, despite a maize export ban which has been re-affirmed by the government. The highest amount of imports were recorded at the Malawi-Mozambique border of Muloza, while highest amount of exports were recorded on the Malawi-Tanzania border of Songwe.