Social commentator has cautioned government to adhere to principles of liberal economy, following government’s response to the recent call from the Mega Farmers’ Union over the government export restrictions on grains.
According to the commentator Joe Maele, the ban has failed to strike a balance between protecting farmers and ensuring national food security.
He said the farmers plea to have the restrictions lifted are genuine, considering the money invested in growing Maize, adding that exporting the grain could also help the country fetch the much-needed foreign exchange.
“Where a government issues a control on exports where a person was supposed to realise his profits, and then also controls the prices around the country then that is unbecoming of a government. It was supposed to leave the principles of a liberal economy that Malawi is, where people determine the prices of their goods basing on the factors of demand and supply”, Maele explained.
According to Maele, the conduct of government is illegal because it is based on a political gradient other than rational economy where government was supposed to leave the economy so free.
He therefore said government must play a fair game on the matter by either introducing farms where it can grow the maize and supply to the voters or leave the Mega farmers to grow their crops and sell where they think they would make enough profits rather than always being controlled by the government.
Meanwhile, the Ministry said the restrictions on the export of strategic products such as Maize are essential to protect National Food security.
The ministry’s spokesperson, Patrick Botha, said while the ministry recognizes the importance of farmer’s access to regional and international markets to obtain competitive prices, he has however stressed on the need to balance objective with protecting national food security.
“It should be understood even by our friends, the traders or these Associations that export restrictions are not intended to discourage trade or to limit famers market opportunities indefinitely, rather these restrictions are temporally measures applied only when necessary to protect the food security, so you can see that the issue of food security comes over everything to make sure that the country is food secure”, said Botha.
Botha said the restrictions for strategic commodities are based on tangible evidence made in collaboration with the ministry of agriculture.
He assured the country that once the relevant authorities determine that the country is food security situation can support exports, the ministry of trade and tourism stands ready to facilitate trade with regional and international markets, in line with its mandate.
In November, 2025, the Government of Malawi imposed restrictions on the exportation of maize and its products, as part of continued efforts to, among others, safeguard national food security and maintain price stability.
In a statement released on November 6, 2025, director of trade in goods in the Ministry of Industrialisation, Business, Trade and Tourism, Charity Musonzo said that the move also aimed at protecting the livelihoods of the majority of Malawians who depend on maize as their staple food.
President for Grain Traders Association of Malawi Grace Mijiga, agreed with the restrictions saying it was in order, because the country had no enough maize to sustain the country’s population.
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