An alarming 89% of farmers in Malawi’s urban farming zones of Blantyre, Lilongwe, Mzuzu, and Zomba have been compelled to harvest their maize harvests prematurely, owing to an increasing wave of theft, debilitating economic pressure, and the nagging worry of losing everything before harvest day.

What was once a vital time in the farming cycle has become a mad dash to save food before it is stolen. According to a sobering policy brief produced by LUANAR’s Centre for Agricultural Research and Development (CARD), this alarming trend is plunging the country into a looming food and public health crisis.

Premature Maize Harvesting (PMH)—where crops are pulled from the fields before reaching maturity—is on the rise, and the consequences are both immediate and terrifying: mould-infested grain, a higher risk of aflatoxins linked to liver cancer and childhood stunting, weakened market value, and soaring post-harvest losses.

Farmers surveyed reported shelling problems, food quality deterioration, and crop damage during transport, all of which point to the same conclusion: Malawi’s food system is breaking down under pressure.

Worse still, the study finds that climate unpredictability, food scarcity, inadequate market access, and lack of financial protection worsen this problem, leaving smallholder farmers in survival mode and families dangerously vulnerable.

CARD is pushing the government and stakeholders to move quickly on seven critical interventions, including community crop protection, a prohibition on green maize sales, improved extension services, winter cropping, and social safety nets, to stop the bleeding and rebuild food resilience.

This is not just a farming issue but a full-fledged national emergency. If nothing is done, Malawi may have complete fields and empty plates.

Source: All Africa