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Malawi

Malawi mVAM Bulletin #15: March 2017 - New maize supplies bring lower prices

Attachments

Key points:

  • New supplies are lowering maize prices

  • Negative coping levels have been stable for four consecutive months

  • Purchasing power remains stable amid lower prices and a fall in manual labour wages

  • New admissions of malnourished children, adolescents and adults continue to rise

Situation Update

March 2017 marked the ninth and final month of the biggest humanitarian response in the history of Malawi, which was triggered when 6.7 million people – 40 percent of the population – were deemed unable to meet their annual minimum food requirements (Malawi Vulnerability Assessment Committee [MVAC] report, 2016). As per the 2016 Food Insecurity Response Plan, the food-insecure population was provided with in-kind food assistance, hybrid vouchers and cash-based transfers.
Findings from the 2017 pre-harvest assessment conducted by MVAC in March point to a rebound in maize production – especially in southern and central areas – compared to the previous cropping season. However, it notes that a fall armyworm infestation is being reported in almost all districts across the country, with enormous impact in northern region, especially in the district of Karonga. The second round crop estimates forecast maize production of 3.3 million metric tons, an increase of 37 percent compared to the same round last year.