By Chisomo Phiri
Presidential aspirant for the upcoming 2030 general elections, Jani Grey Kasunda, has issued a warning over what he describes as an impending food crisis in the country, urging the government to implement urgent structural economic reforms to safeguard food security and stabilize the agricultural sector.
Speaking to 247 Malawi News,Kasunda currently pursuing a Master’s Degree in International Relations at Jinan University in China
noted that Malawi has secured funding amounting to US$80 million from the World Bank under the Governance to Enable Service Delivery Project (GESD 2.0), with an additional US$100 million in supplementary support.
He welcomed the financing, describing it as a necessary short-term boost, but cautioned that it does not address Malawi’s deeper structural economic challenges.
He also observed recent changes in maize pricing, stating that prices have fallen from as high as K80,000 per 50kg bag during the previous Malawi Congress Party (MCP) administration to around K20,000 currently, while the minimum farm-gate price has been set at K45,000 per bag.
According to him, this has helped reduce food inflation, but he warned against mistaking short-term price stability for long-term food security.
The presidential hopeful further raised concerns over high production costs faced by farmers.
He pointed out that fertiliser prices have risen significantly in recent years, citing current figures of approximately K187,448.50 per 50kg bag of NPK and K171,611 for Urea.
Kasunda who is campaigning under the banner of ‘The People’s Revolution’ argued that these costs, combined with a maize farm-gate price of K45,000, place farmers at a loss after production expenses.
He warned that this imbalance could negatively affect maize production in the next agricultural season, referencing concerns previously raised by the Farmers Union of Malawi (FUM) about potential declines in output and increased risk of food shortages.
The presidential aspirant also highlighted rising fuel prices, which he said have climbed to nearly K6,700 per litre, making Malawi one of the most expensive countries in the region in terms of fuel costs.
He further noted that persistent inflation and global geopolitical tensions, particularly in the Middle East, are contributing to rising fertiliser prices and increasing pressure on Malawi’s import-dependent economy.
Kasunda argued that while World Bank support provides temporary relief, it should be used as a window for implementing long-term reforms rather than as a permanent solution.
He emphasized the need for stronger domestic production systems and improved governance.
He also raised concerns about corruption, stating that the discontinuation of several high-profile corruption cases sends a negative signal about accountability and could undermine donor confidence.
According to him, development partners are unlikely to continue supporting countries perceived to tolerate impunity and mismanagement of public resources.
Among his key recommendations, Kasunda called for an increase in the maize farm-gate price to reflect production costs, expansion of irrigation farming to reduce dependence on rainfall, investment in local fertiliser production and blending, and the establishment of a strategic grain reserve that prioritizes purchases from local farmers before imports are considered.
He concluded by warning that failure to address these issues could deepen economic hardship and threaten national food security.
“A nation that cannot feed itself compromises its sovereignty,” he said, calling for urgent action to prevent a worsening food crisis.
