Market prices
WFP monthly survey prices for the boma, Mpamba, Chintheche and Mzuzu markets — staples, dried fish and fertilizer, with the usual shape of the year.
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WFP monthly survey prices for the boma, Mpamba, Chintheche and Mzuzu markets — staples, dried fish and fertilizer, with the usual shape of the year.
Fish and cassava money moves through Nkhata Bay's markets, and traders shuttle produce between the boma, the district trading centres and Mzuzu — often by boat. This board puts the World Food Programme's monthly market survey side by side for those markets, and shows how prices have usually moved through the year. Keep one thing in mind: these are retail prices, what buyers pay at the market stall. A trader buying at your gate or on the beach will usually offer less.
From the March 2026 market survey.
| Market | Price |
|---|---|
| Nkhata Bay (boma) | K1,078 |
| Mpamba | K990 |
| Chintheche | K988 |
| Zigwagwa (Mzuzu) | K937 |
All prices from the March 2026 survey.
| Market | Price |
|---|---|
| Nkhata Bay (boma) | K2,000 |
| Mpamba | K2,000 |
| Chintheche | K2,000 |
| Zigwagwa (Mzuzu) | K1,000 |
All prices from the March 2026 survey.
| Market | Price |
|---|---|
| Nkhata Bay (boma) | K4,500 |
| Mpamba | K3,300 |
| Chintheche | K4,500 |
| Zigwagwa (Mzuzu) | K4,500 |
All prices from the March 2026 survey.
| Market | Price |
|---|---|
| Nkhata Bay (boma) | K6,776 |
| Mpamba | K5,533 |
| Chintheche | K5,969 |
| Zigwagwa (Mzuzu) | K4,642 |
All prices from the March 2026 survey.
| Market | Price | Survey |
|---|---|---|
| Nkhata Bay (boma) | K9,000 | March 2026 |
| Mpamba | K7,500 | March 2026 |
| Chintheche | K6,000 | March 2026 |
| Zigwagwa (Mzuzu) | K7,500 | February 2026 — older survey |
| Market | Price | Survey |
|---|---|---|
| Nkhata Bay (boma) | K6,000 | March 2026 |
| Mpamba | K6,000 | February 2026 — older survey |
| Chintheche | K6,000 | March 2026 |
| Zigwagwa (Mzuzu) | K3,500 | March 2026 |
| Market | Price |
|---|---|
| Nkhata Bay (boma) | K16,000 |
| Mpamba | K16,000 |
| Chintheche | K8,000 |
| Zigwagwa (Mzuzu) | K16,000 |
All prices from the March 2026 survey.
| Market | Price |
|---|---|
| Nkhata Bay (boma) | K1,200 |
| Mpamba | K1,500 |
| Chintheche | K1,800 |
| Zigwagwa (Mzuzu) | K1,500 |
All prices from the March 2026 survey.
| Market | Price | Survey |
|---|---|---|
| Nkhata Bay (boma) | K180,000 | February 2026 — older survey |
| Mpamba | K192,000 | March 2026 |
| Chintheche | K200,000 | March 2026 |
| Zigwagwa (Mzuzu) | K175,000 | March 2026 |
| Market | Price | Survey |
|---|---|---|
| Nkhata Bay (boma) | K180,000 | February 2026 — older survey |
| Mpamba | K180,000 | March 2026 |
| Chintheche | K200,000 | March 2026 |
| Zigwagwa (Mzuzu) | K175,000 | March 2026 |
Worked out from the same surveys going back to 2004: each month is compared with the average for its own market and year, so currency inflation drops out and only the seasonal shape remains. Only commodities with at least three years of history are shown.
| Month | Maize vs the year’s average |
|---|---|
| January | -5% |
| February | +10% |
| March | +10% |
| April | -10% |
| May | -15% |
| June | -15% |
| July | -10% |
| August | -5% |
| September | +5% |
| October | +5% |
| November | +10% |
| December | +15% |
| Commodity | Usually highest | Usually lowest |
|---|---|---|
| Cassava | February (+30%) | January (-30%) |
| Rice | March (+5%) | January (-5%) |
| Beans | October (+5%) | April (-10%) |
| Groundnuts (shelled) | December (+5%) | January (-10%) |
About the fish row
Survey months, not today
A short summary a presenter can read on air, survey month included.
From the March 2026 World Food Programme market survey: at Nkhata Bay (boma), maize at K1,078 per kg, cassava at K2,000 per kg, rice at K4,500 per kg. These are retail prices — what buyers pay at the market stall.
Updated 12 June 2026. Figures are in Malawian kwacha (MWK) — retail prices from the World Food Programme’s monthly market surveys, shared on the Humanitarian Data Exchange (CC BY-IGO). Surveys run about once a month and publish with a lag, so the newest figures can trail the market floor by a few weeks.