By Owen Mavula and Geoffrey Chinawa
On 16 September, 2025, Malawians made a bold decision to usher back into power Professor Arthur Peter Mutharika and the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) through the ballot. Their decision was largely driven by the party’s manifesto, which hinges on a number of key areas such as food and agriculture, to ensure that every household is food secure.
After assuming power, President Mutharika repeatedly assured people in the country that no one would die of hunger, promising a steady flow of maize on the market and the distribution of relief food to food-insecure households during lean season. And now after 100 days in office, communities and opinion leaders in Mangochi and other eastern region districts are describing the journey as a success in areas of food, fertilizer and fuel availability.
Maize vendors, for instance, say unlike in the past, there is steady flow of the commodity in Admarc depots and other markets where people are able to access the staple food in abundance. James Bowa, a maize vendor who plies his trade at Chiponde border and Mangochi central market, is all praises for the new administration.
“It’s no secret that things are now better following the return of President Professor Arthur Peter Mutharika. In the past, we used to struggle to find maize to sell on the market and even when we found it, a lot of people could not afford to buy it because of high prices,” said Bowa.
Bowa added that markets in Mangochi are now flooded with maize and the commodity is selling between K55,000 and K60,000 per 50 Kilogramme.
Yusuf Wiski, a resident of Malombe in Mangochi, who had just bought three bags of Maize, recalled how essential commodities like food became scarce over the past five years.
“Things are better now. In these 100 days, we have seen a drop in prices of maize and other basic needs. Today, I have just purchased three bags of maize, weighing 50 kilogrammes each.
In the past, I could not afford to buy three bags at once, because the prices were high ranging from K90,000 to K100,000 per 50 Kilogramme and the maize was even scarce,” he said.
Food Availability and Stable Prices is presented in DPP’s Manifesto as part of a broader plan to stabilise the economy and improve living standards of Malawians at all levels. Many are of the view that the Mutharika-led administration has started well in that respect.
For Sub Traditional Authority Mpinganjira, living in close proximity to his subjects who used to struggle to access food was a nightmare. But now the chief says he can afford a smile, because in 100 days of President Arthur Peter Mutharika, signs of recovery are visible.
“What we are seeing today is what the people voted for, unlike in the past when food was scarce and unaffordable. These days my subjects are not finding it hard to access maize. The markets are flooded with affordable maize, as low as K60,000 per 50 Kilogramme,” he said.
Before APM took the mantle of leadership, maize was selling as high as K90,000 per 50 kilogramme bag in most areas.
In a separate interview with MBC, Minister of Agriculture, Roza Fatch Mbilizi, said about 4,000 metric tons of Maize from Zambia has already arrived in the country, ready for distribution to food insecure households. Apart from the maize secured from neighbouring Zambia, she said the government is purchasing Maize locally to add to the consignment and assured people in the country that no one will die of hunger.
