Highlights 

◼ Average retail prices of soybeans, pigeon peas and groundnuts increased by 4 to 21 percent while com-
mon bean marginally declined by 0.5 percent. 

◼ Average retail prices of cassava, irish potatoes and sweet potatoes increased by 6 to 10 percent. 

◼ Average retail price of rice decreased by 1 percent while sorghum retail prices increased by 17 percent. 

Legumes 

Table 1. Retail prices (MWK/kg) of common beans and pigeon pea by region during November 

2021 

 

Note: - = commodity not monitored or prices not reported in this market. 

Market O
c
t 
3
0

N
o
v
 6

N
o
v
 1

3

N
o
v
 2

0

N
o
v
 2

7

O
c
t 
3
0

N
o
v
 6

N
o
v
 1

3

N
o
v
 2

0

N
o
v
 2

7

B
e
a
n

P
.p

e
a

North 904 838 936 880 889 411 411 - 421 421 -2% 3%

Jenda 850 817 867 867 883 - - - - - 4% -

Karonga-boma 950 950 888 411 411 - 421 421 -7% 2%

Mzuzu 925 900 1100 900 900 - - - - - -3% -

Center 1130 1200 1167 1200 1200 - - - - - 6% -

Chimbiya 1200 1200 1200 1200 1200 - - - - - 0% -

Mchinji 1025 1100 1200 - - - - - 9% -

Mitundu 1200 1200 1200 1200 1200 - - - - - 0% -

South 1260 1250 1180 1160 1160 621 625 629 640 650 -8% 5%

Balaka 1300 1250 1300 1350 1350 700 700 775 775 775 4% 11%

Bangula - - 900 1000 1000 - - - - - 11% -

Lunzu 1200 - 1200 1100 1100 600 - 600 600 -8% 0%

Mangochi - - - - - 600 600 600 600 700 - 17%

Ngabu - - - - - 525 500 525 525 525 - 0%

All markets 1086 1031 1081 1050 1081 595 582 629 604 625 -0.5% 5%

Common bean Pigeon pea since October 30

Change

This price bulletin was developed by researchers at IFPRI Malawi with the goal of providing clear and 

accurate information on the weekly variation of retail prices for selected agricultural commodities that 

are important for food security and nutrition in Malawi. The reports are intended as a resource for 

those interested in agricultural markets in Malawi. 

 

NOVEMBER 2021  Price Bulletin #14a for Selected Legumes, Roots & Tubers, and other Cereals  



2 
 

Table 2. Retail prices (MWK/kg) of soybean and groundnut by region during November 2021 

 
 
Note: - = prices not reported from this market; soybean and groundnut are priced per kilogram 

Roots and Tubers 

Figure 1. Regional average retail prices (MWK/unit) of cassava, Irish potato, and sweet potato     

during November 2021 

 

Market O
c
t 
3
0

N
o
v
 6

N
o
v
 1

3

N
o
v
 2

0

N
o
v
 2

7

O
c
t 
3
0

N
o
v
 6

N
o
v
 1

3

N
o
v
 2

0

N
o
v
 2

7

S
o
y
b
e
a
n

G
ro

u
n
d
n
u
t

North 900 1000 1000 1000 1033 915 920 983 1014 1007 15% 10%

Jenda - - - - - 850 733 775 833 783 - -8%

Karonga-boma 900 1000 1000 1000 1100 1200 1200 1200 1200 1250 22% 4%

Mzuzu 900 - - - 900 838 - 750 1100 1100 0% 31%

Center 870 850 878 830 910 995 860 1000 903 993 5% 0%

Chimbiya 800 - 807 807 817 890 863 883 855 885 1% -1%

Mchinji 950 - 1000 - 1200 1175 - 1200 - 1200 20% 0%

Mitundu 850 850 850 900 900 950 850 950 1000 1000 6% 5%

South 850 900 1075 1175 1225 1167 1225 1190 3180 1220 44% 5%

Balaka 933 950 1250 1250 1200 1267 1300 1275 1250 1350 29% 7%

Bangula - - - - - - - - - - - -

Lunzu 775 - 1000 1200 1200 - - - - - - -

Mangochi 750 800 800 1000 1300 1000 1200 1200 1300 1200 73% 20%

Ngabu - - - - - 1100 1100 1100 6050 1100 - 0%

All markets 865 910 964 1002 1046 1032 995 1050 1714 1070 21% 4%

Change

Soyabean Groundnut since October 30

0

100

200

300

400

500

600

700

800

North Center South North Center South South

Cassava Irish potato Sweet potato

P
ri
c
e
 

(M
W

K
/u

in
t)

Nov 6 Nov 13 Nov 20 Nov 27



3 
 

Table 3. Retail prices of roots and tubers (MWK/unit) during November 2021 

 

Note: - = prices not reported from this market; cassava and Irish potatoes are priced per kilogram; sweet potatoes are priced per heap. 

Other Cereals 

Figure 2. Regional average retail prices (MWK/kg) of rice during November 2021

Change

Commodity Market Oct 30 Nov 6 Nov 13 Nov 20 Nov 27 since October 30

Cassava North 307 320 285 320 337 10%

Mpamba 264 250 320 21%

Mzuzu 365 320 320 320 371 2%

Nkhatabay-boma - - - - 320 -

Center 256 256 256 320 307 20%

Chinkhoma 256 256 256 320 307 20%

Kaw amba - - - - - -

Mitundu - - - - - -

South 315 320 360 338 322 2%

Limbe 373 - 400 347 323 -14%

Namw era turn-off 296 320 320 320 320 8%

All markets 307 299 324 331 324 6%

Sweet potato South 282 310 309 302 309 10%

Bangw e 211 275 221 250 221 5%

Chilobw e 292 333 333 333 333 14%

Chinakanaka 286 333 333 333 333 17%

Ndirande 375 333 350 - 350 5%

Zingw anga 275 - 333 333 333 21%

All markets 282 310 309 302 309 10%

Irish potato North 525 680 500 -5%

Jenda 525 680 500 -5%

Center 363 387 421 426 423 16%

Lizulu-Lilongw e 400 490 500 500 25%

Lizulu 372 380 387 387 387 4%

Tsangano turn-off 300 400 408 413 400 33%

South 333 411 333 422 333 0%

Blantyre market 300 411 300 422 300 0%

Limbe 400 400 400 0%

All markets 387 396 420 426 426 10%

0

100

200

300

400

500

600

700

800

Center North South South

Rice Sorghum

A
v
e
ra

g
e
 p

ri
c
e

(M
W

K
/k

g
)

Nov 6 Nov 13 Nov 20 Nov 27

[Grab your 

reader’s at-

tention with 

a great 

quote from 



 

For further information contact 

Aubrey Jolex (a.jolex@cgiar.org) at IFPRI Malawi. 

To learn more about our work, visit https://massp.ifpri.info or follow us on Twitter (@IFPRIMalawi). 

 

Photos: IFPRI Malawi 

 

Table 4. Retail prices of other cereals (MWK/kg) during November 2021 

 

Note: - = prices not reported from this market; rice and sorghum are priced per kilogram 

How data were collected 

With financial support from the European Union, IFPRI Malawi began monitoring retail prices of selected legumes, roots 

and tubers, and non-maize cereals* in selected markets in November 2020. Currently, prices are collected from 44 mar-

kets across the country, with monitoring occurring once per week. Three monitors report prices from each market. Data is 

collected by means of automated short message service (SMS) with follow-ups made by telephone the next day if needed. 

The commodities monitored are being phased-in, starting with legumes, root crops and other cereals, and then expanding 

to include livestock products and fish by the end of March 2021. Note that the number of markets monitored vary by com-

modity because major markets are targeted in areas where these commodities are widely produced. 

* daily retail prices for maize are available from our monthly maize market reports 

 

 

 

 

 

Change

Commodity Market Oct 30 Nov 6 Nov 13 Nov 20 Nov 27 since October 30

Rice North 650 750 602 602 629 -3%

Karonga-boma 617 800 650 650 700 14%

Mzimba-boma 775 800 800 800 850 10%

Nkhatabay-boma 640 600 600 600 600 -6%

Pusi 700 700 650 650 650 -7%

Wovw e 550 850 475 475 508 7%

Center 600 600 633 633 650 8%

Nkhotakota-boma - - 700 700 650 -7%

Salima-kamuzu road 600 600 600 600 650 8%

South 622 593 617 617 623 0%

Chiringa 583 600 617 617 633 9%

Phalombe 700 - 683 683 683 -2%

Songani 583 583 552 552 553 0%

All markets 636 665 612 612 629 -1%

Sorghum South 300 350 350 333 333 11%

Chikw aw a 300 300 300 300 300 0%

Ngabu - - - - - -

Nsanje - 400 400 400 400 0%

All markets 300 350 350 350 350 17%

mailto:a.jolex@cgiar.org
https://massp.ifpri.info/
https://twitter.com/IFPRIMalawi
http://massp.ifpri.info/resources/maize-market-report/