Malawi cost of living up on maize account
The cost of living in Malawi’s cities of Lilongwe, Zomba, Blantyre and Mzuzu marginally went up to K102 796.75 (about $315) in July due to maize price rise, the Centre for Social Concern (CfSC) report indicates.
The CfSC July basic needs basket (BNB) indicates that a household of six members required K112 301 (about $344) in Lilongwe, K93 047 (about $285) in Zomba, K110 691 (about $339) in Blantyre and K95 148 (about $291) in Mzuzu to barely meet basic necessities in the month.
Notably, the BNB report, which includes food and non-food basket, indicates that maize rose by about a whopping 19 percent during the review period from an average K4 987 to K5 941 per 50-kg bag in the four cities.
Commenting on the rise in maize price during the period, CfSC social conditions research officer Alex Nkosi in a telephone interview said the rise in the prices is abnormal.
“This rise in maize prices is very abnormal bearing in mind that we are not in the lean period. Maize is a very critical to the economy and it is important that government pays particular attention to its marketing. Government can assist by ensuring that farmers have access to better urban markets. As it stands now traders have the control and can dictate maize prices especially in urban centres,” said Nkosi.
The Famine Early Warning System Network (Fewsnet) in its July monthly report noted that a substantial number of households, about 66 percent are already engaging in some form of food-related coping to access food.
The Fewsnet report further noted that about 42 percent of households were spending more than 75 percent of their income on food at harvest time.
Maize, a staple to many Malawians, is critical in that the food basket comprises about 50.2 percent of the country’s inflation computation.
However, the June inflation rate dropped to 25.2 percent in July from 27.9 percent, according to the National Statistical Office (NSO).
But the CfSC BNB report, which totals the food and the essential non-food baskets and represents the urban poverty line, indicates that the food basket in the four cities rose marginally to an average K61 143 while the non -food basket rose to K41 653.75.
The BNB monthly report, according to CfSC, provides a monthly review of cost of living through surveys and a straightforward look at households’ needs and their corresponding costs in the four cities.
