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Insights Centre
Sectors · Agriculture across SADC

Agriculture in Malawi

How the season is going, what staples cost, where land and water are being invested in, and where processing is missing.

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Value added by agriculture, forestry and fishing, 2024US$3.2bn28.3% of the economy · 8th largest of 16 in SADC
Real growth+2.3%a year over the last five years, at constant prices
Exports of the pillar's goods, 2024US$698m-14% on five years earlier · 8th in SADC
Deals in the last 12 months48 tracked in Malawi in all

Agriculture, forestry and fishing added US$3.2bn to Malawi's economy in 2024

Value added by agriculture, forestry and fishing, the industries in the national accounts closest to agriculture, US$, at the prices of each year and at constant 2020 prices (which show real growth)

0$1bn$2bn$3bn$4bn199019921994199619982000200220042006200820102012201420162018202020222024Prices of each yearUS$3.2bnConstant 2020 pricesUS$3.2bn
Source: UN Statistics Division·dotzedw Insights Centre

Malawi has SADC's 8th largest agriculture, forestry and fishing sector

Value added by agriculture, forestry and fishing, US$, latest year, with its share of each economy

AngolaUS$25.9bn22.6% of the economy
TanzaniaUS$21.4bn28.1% of the economy
South AfricaUS$11.3bn3.1% of the economy
DRCUS$7.7bn10.9% of the economy
MozambiqueUS$5.7bn28.6% of the economy
ZimbabweUS$4.0bn9.2% of the economy
MadagascarUS$3.9bn24.5% of the economy
MalawiUS$3.2bn28.3% of the economy
NamibiaUS$975m8.1% of the economy
ZambiaUS$717m3.0% of the economy
MauritiusUS$637m4.9% of the economy
ComorosUS$541m35.8% of the economy
EswatiniUS$356m7.7% of the economy
BotswanaUS$332m1.8% of the economy
LesothoUS$158m7.7% of the economy
SeychellesUS$53m2.9% of the economy
Source: UN Statistics Division·dotzedw Insights Centre

Agriculture, forestry and fishing, value added (US$): Malawi against SADC

Agriculture, forestry and fishing, value added (US$), US$, latest year for each country. Click a bar for that country's agriculture page.

$0$10bn$20bn$30bnAngola$30.8bnTanzania$20.7bnSouth Africa$12.1bnDRC$8.1bnMozambique$5.7bnZimbabwe$4.9bnMalawi$4.5bnMadagascar$4.3bnZambia$1.2bnNamibia$1.1bnMauritius$745.9mComoros$663.9mBotswana$355.0mEswatini$330.7mLesotho$166.9mSeychelles$62.2mmedian $2.7bn

Source: World Bank·dotzedw Insights Centre

Malawi's trade in agriculture goods since 2012

Exports and imports of the products in this pillar's subsectors, each product counted once, US$

0$200m$400m$600m$800m$1bn2012201420162018202020222024ExportsUS$698mImportsUS$580m
Source: CEPII BACI·dotzedw Insights Centre

Subsectors

10 in this pillar

Grains and staples in Malawi

Tracks
Maize, wheat, sorghum, rice and cassava; harvests, yields, crop estimates, stocks, prices, import needs and export bans.
Signals ahead
Rainfall in the growing months, planting intentions, export bans in neighbouring countries.

Select a figure for its trend. Source: CEPII BACI, dotzedw deals tracker.

Trade in detail

Malawi exported US$828k and imported US$89m of grains and staples in 2024; exports down 84% on five years earlier, 0% of what SADC sells abroad.

Malawi's main exports in this subsector, 2024

Maize (100510)US$494k
Cereal grains otherwise worked, except rice (110419)US$116k
Manioc, arrowroot, salep, Jerusalem artichokes, sweet… (071420)US$44k
Maize (100590)US$37k
Sorghum (100710)US$34k

Malawi's trade in grains and staples every year since 2012, by partner is part of the Individual plan

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Open these deals in the deals tracker

What Malawi sells abroad across agriculture

Malawi's exports by subsector, 2024, US$, with its share of SADC's exports. A product can count in two subsectors.

Cash cropsUS$665m10.3% of SADC · -16% on five years earlier
Livestock, meat and dairyUS$16m1.1% of SADC · +2738% on five years earlier
Forestry and timberUS$13m0.5% of SADC · +46% on five years earlier
InputsUS$2.6m0.1% of SADC · +18% on five years earlier
Grains and staplesUS$828k0% of SADC · -84% on five years earlier
Fisheries and aquacultureUS$728k0% of SADC · +13% on five years earlier
Storage, processing and agro-industryUS$366k0% of SADC · -77% on five years earlier
IrrigationUS$18k0% of SADC · -85% on five years earlier
Horticulture and fruit exportsUS$2k0% of SADC · -99% on five years earlier
Source: CEPII BACI·dotzedw Insights Centre

Who is moving

Open in the deals tracker

4 deals in the last 12 months involving Malawi, placed in subsectors by what they say.

Sources and method