Monthly survey prices for maize, beans, groundnuts and farm inputs at Zigwagwa and ten trading centres across the Northern Region — compare markets and see how prices usually move through the year.
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Farmers around Mzuzu often sell at the farm gate without knowing what town markets are paying. This board puts the World Food Programme's monthly market survey side by side for Zigwagwa and the trading centres around the north, and shows how prices have usually moved through the year. One thing to keep in mind: these are retail prices — what buyers pay at the market stall. A trader buying at your gate will usually offer less than the market price.
| Market | Price | Survey |
|---|---|---|
| Zigwagwa (Mzuzu) | K937 | March 2026 — older survey |
| Nkhata Bay | K1,078 | March 2026 — older survey |
| Mpamba | K990 | March 2026 — older survey |
| Chintheche | K988 | March 2026 — older survey |
| Jenda | K978 | March 2026 — older survey |
| Euthini | K928 | March 2026 — older survey |
| Manyamula | K1,024 | March 2026 — older survey |
| Rumphi | K839 | March 2026 — older survey |
| Bolero | K1,150 | April 2026 |
| Karonga | K919 | March 2026 — older survey |
| Chitipa | K925 | April 2026 |
| Market | Price | Survey |
|---|---|---|
| Zigwagwa (Mzuzu) | K4,642 | March 2026 — older survey |
| Nkhata Bay | K6,776 | March 2026 — older survey |
| Mpamba | K5,533 | March 2026 — older survey |
| Chintheche | K5,969 | March 2026 — older survey |
| Jenda | K3,879 | March 2026 — older survey |
| Euthini | K5,004 | March 2026 — older survey |
| Manyamula | K7,560 | March 2026 — older survey |
| Rumphi | K5,616 | March 2026 — older survey |
| Bolero | K4,500 | April 2026 |
| Karonga | K4,235 | March 2026 — older survey |
| Chitipa | K4,000 | April 2026 |
| Market | Price | Survey |
|---|---|---|
| Zigwagwa (Mzuzu) | K7,500 | February 2026 — older survey |
| Nkhata Bay | K9,000 | March 2026 — older survey |
| Mpamba | K7,500 | March 2026 — older survey |
| Chintheche | K6,000 | March 2026 — older survey |
| Jenda | K7,500 | February 2026 — older survey |
| Euthini | K7,000 | March 2026 — older survey |
| Manyamula | K9,000 | March 2026 — older survey |
| Rumphi | K7,500 | December 2025 — older survey |
| Bolero | K6,000 | March 2026 — older survey |
| Karonga | K6,167 | December 2025 — older survey |
| Chitipa | K6,000 | March 2026 — older survey |
| Market | Price | Survey |
|---|---|---|
| Zigwagwa (Mzuzu) | K3,500 | March 2026 — older survey |
| Nkhata Bay | K6,000 | March 2026 — older survey |
| Mpamba | K6,000 | February 2026 — older survey |
| Chintheche | K6,000 | March 2026 — older survey |
| Jenda | K2,000 | March 2026 — older survey |
| Euthini | K3,000 | March 2026 — older survey |
| Manyamula | K4,500 | March 2026 — older survey |
| Rumphi | K6,000 | March 2026 — older survey |
| Bolero | K4,500 | March 2026 — older survey |
| Karonga | K4,500 | March 2026 — older survey |
| Chitipa | K3,000 | March 2026 — older survey |
| Market | Price |
|---|---|
| Zigwagwa (Mzuzu) | K4,500 |
| Nkhata Bay | K4,500 |
| Mpamba | K3,300 |
| Chintheche | K4,500 |
| Jenda | K4,500 |
| Euthini | K4,000 |
| Manyamula | K4,500 |
| Rumphi | K4,500 |
| Bolero | K4,500 |
| Karonga | K4,000 |
| Chitipa | K4,000 |
All prices from the March 2026 survey.
| Market | Price |
|---|---|
| Zigwagwa (Mzuzu) | K1,000 |
| Nkhata Bay | K2,000 |
| Mpamba | K2,000 |
| Chintheche | K2,000 |
| Jenda | K1,600 |
| Euthini | K1,600 |
| Manyamula | K2,000 |
| Rumphi | K2,000 |
| Bolero | K800 |
| Karonga | K800 |
| Chitipa | K1,000 |
All prices from the March 2026 survey.
| Market | Price |
|---|---|
| Zigwagwa (Mzuzu) | K1,500 |
| Nkhata Bay | K1,200 |
| Mpamba | K1,500 |
| Chintheche | K1,800 |
| Jenda | K2,400 |
| Euthini | K600 |
| Manyamula | K1,500 |
| Rumphi | K1,500 |
| Bolero | K1,200 |
| Karonga | K1,500 |
| Chitipa | K1,200 |
All prices from the March 2026 survey.
| Market | Price | Survey |
|---|---|---|
| Zigwagwa (Mzuzu) | K175,000 | March 2026 — older survey |
| Nkhata Bay | K180,000 | February 2026 — older survey |
| Mpamba | K192,000 | March 2026 — older survey |
| Chintheche | K200,000 | March 2026 — older survey |
| Jenda | K187,000 | March 2026 — older survey |
| Euthini | K172,000 | March 2026 — older survey |
| Manyamula | K165,000 | March 2026 — older survey |
| Rumphi | K180,000 | March 2026 — older survey |
| Bolero | K174,000 | March 2026 — older survey |
| Karonga | K175,000 | March 2026 — older survey |
| Chitipa | K180,000 | March 2026 — older survey |
| Market | Price | Survey |
|---|---|---|
| Zigwagwa (Mzuzu) | K175,000 | March 2026 — older survey |
| Nkhata Bay | K180,000 | February 2026 — older survey |
| Mpamba | K180,000 | March 2026 — older survey |
| Chintheche | K200,000 | March 2026 — older survey |
| Jenda | K170,000 | March 2026 — older survey |
| Euthini | K172,000 | March 2026 — older survey |
| Manyamula | K170,000 | March 2026 — older survey |
| Rumphi | K176,000 | March 2026 — older survey |
| Bolero | K174,000 | March 2026 — older survey |
| Karonga | K180,000 | March 2026 — older survey |
| Chitipa | K150,000 | March 2026 — older survey |
Worked out from the same surveys going back to 2003: each month is compared with the average for its own market and year, so currency inflation drops out and only the seasonal shape remains. Only commodities with at least three years of history are shown.
| Month | Maize vs the year’s average |
|---|---|
| January | about average |
| February | +5% |
| March | +10% |
| April | -5% |
| May | -20% |
| June | -20% |
| July | -10% |
| August | -5% |
| September | about average |
| October | +5% |
| November | +10% |
| December | +15% |
| Commodity | Usually highest | Usually lowest |
|---|---|---|
| Beans | December (+15%) | May (-10%) |
| Groundnuts (shelled) | December (+10%) | June (-10%) |
| Rice | December (+5%) | June (-5%) |
| Cassava | November (+10%) | January (-30%) |
Do you know a market's days?
A short summary a presenter can read on air, survey month included.
From the March 2026 World Food Programme market survey: at Zigwagwa (Mzuzu), maize at K937 per kg, beans at K4,642 per kg. These are retail prices — what buyers pay at the market stall.
Updated 9 July 2026. Figures are in Malawian kwacha (MWK) — retail prices from the World Food Programme’s monthly market surveys, shared on the Humanitarian Data Exchange (CC BY-IGO). Surveys run about once a month and publish with a lag, so the newest figures can trail the market floor by a few weeks.