Africa-Press – Malawi. The much-hyped MegaFarms programme—once touted as Malawi’s ticket to food security and export-driven agriculture—has crumbled under the weight of mismanagement, corruption hangovers, and poor accountability, producing less than half of its projected maize output for the 2024/2025 season.
Minister of Agriculture Roza Fatch Mbilizi delivered a damning assessment of the project’s performance in Parliament, describing the results as “deeply disappointing” and warning that those responsible will be held to account.
According to Mbilizi, the government pumped a staggering MK48.9 billion worth of farm inputs into the project, targeting over 900 farmers and 47,627 hectares under cultivation. But despite such heavy investment, the programme yielded only 88,000 metric tons of maize—far below the initial target of 220,000 metric tons.
“While about 44,000 hectares performed relatively well, adverse weather conditions and glaring mismanagement by the previous administration crippled productivity,” Mbilizi told Parliament.
The situation has been compounded by widespread non-compliance among farmers. The minister revealed that only 5,471 metric tons of maize had been delivered to ACE-managed NFRA and ADMARC warehouses by October 2025. The rest, she said, was sold off privately on the open market, depriving the government of crucial revenue.
“This cannot continue,” Mbilizi warned. “All outstanding payments must be settled by December 2025, failing which we will take legal action.”
The MegaFarms initiative was launched with great fanfare as a cornerstone of Malawi’s agricultural transformation—aiming to turn large-scale farms into commercial hubs for food production, export, and employment. But instead of the promised boom, it has become a case study in poor oversight, delayed funding, and political interference.
Agriculture analysts say the latest figures expose the deep rot within Malawi’s farm reform agenda. “You cannot pour billions into a programme with no clear accountability chain and expect miracles,” said one expert. “The MegaFarms were supposed to be a model of efficiency, not another subsidy scheme in disguise.”
As the dust settles, Mbilizi’s hard-hitting report has reignited debate over whether the programme can still deliver—or whether it is yet another costly agricultural illusion in a country long haunted by food insecurity and failed promises.
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