Policy Briefs

Agriculture is the backbone of Malawi’s economy; it accounts for almost 80 per cent of employment, and 80 per cent of the country’s total exports (World Bank, 2020). However, Malawi remains highly reliant on tobacco and has been slow to diversify into other crops. Two barriers preventing the export of regionally demanded crops are the long-standing export ban on maize and poor quality-control standards and regulations for groundnuts.

The following policy solutions for maize and groundnuts demonstrate the greatest potential for export growth and alignment with national priorities.

The costs and benefits of interventions to encourage agricultural exports in Malawi