Central Region
Kasungu district intelligence
Strong commercial base and input supply — best district for scaling legumes.
District intelligence
Kasungu · Central Region
Strong commercial base and input supply — best district for scaling legumes.
Seasonal rainfall
900 mm
Altitude
1035 m
Reliable season
140 days
Planting window
Late Nov – mid Dec
Dominant soils
Sandy loam, Red soils
Irrigation potential
Moderate
Lean-season stress
16% of households
Yield vs national avg
110%
Best-fit crops
Tobacco, Maize, Groundnuts, Soya beans
Approach with caution
Rice, Irish potatoes
Main hazards
Tobacco market dependence, Dry spells, Soil exhaustion
Where produce sells
Kasungu auction floors · Lilongwe processors · Zambia border trade
Highest-margin options here (per hectare, no contract)
| Crop | Margin / ha | Start-up / ha | Months to cash | Fit |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bananas | MK 7.46m | MK 2.12m | 12 | Workable |
| Vegetables (tomato/onion) | MK 7.16m | MK 3.00m | 3 | Workable |
| Macadamia | MK 5.42m | MK 2.50m | 48 | Workable |
| Coffee | MK 3.88m | MK 2.05m | 36 | Workable |
| Tea | MK 3.19m | MK 2.65m | 24 | Workable |
Market prices in Kasungu
Farmgate and contract prices, with the revenue a hectare returns here after the district yield factor and crop fit are applied.
| Crop | Farmgate | Contract | Yield / ha | Revenue / ha | Price swing | Fit here |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vegetables (tomato/onion) | MK 700/kg | MK 900/kg | 17.82 t | MK 12.47m | ±60% | Workable |
| Bananas | MK 550/kg | MK 650/kg | 21.78 t | MK 11.98m | ±30% | Workable |
| Macadamia | MK 4200/kg | MK 5000/kg | 1.98 t | MK 8.32m | ±35% | Workable |
| Sugarcane | MK 95/kg | MK 120/kg | 84.15 t | MK 7.99m | ±15% | Workable |
| Irish potatoes | MK 650/kg | MK 780/kg | 10.01 t | MK 6.51m | ±42% | Not advised |
| Tea | MK 2600/kg | MK 2900/kg | 2.38 t | MK 6.18m | ±20% | Workable |
| Coffee | MK 5200/kg | MK 6200/kg | 1.19 t | MK 6.18m | ±40% | Workable |
| Tobacco | MK 3200/kg | MK 3900/kg | 1.69 t | MK 5.42m | ±50% | Recommended |
| Cassava | MK 320/kg | MK 400/kg | 15.84 t | MK 5.07m | ±25% | Workable |
| Sweet potatoes | MK 420/kg | MK 520/kg | 10.89 t | MK 4.57m | ±35% | Workable |
| Poultry (broilers, per 500 birds) | MK 4200/kg | MK 4600/kg | 0.89 t | MK 3.74m | ±25% | Workable |
| Groundnuts | MK 1800/kg | MK 2300/kg | 1.45 t | MK 2.61m | ±35% | Recommended |
| Soya beans | MK 1250/kg | MK 1500/kg | 1.94 t | MK 2.42m | ±30% | Recommended |
| Beans | MK 2100/kg | MK 2450/kg | 1.09 t | MK 2.29m | ±33% | Workable |
| Maize | MK 750/kg | MK 900/kg | 3.03 t | MK 2.27m | ±45% | Recommended |
| Rice | MK 1400/kg | MK 1650/kg | 1.57 t | MK 2.20m | ±28% | Not advised |
| Cotton | MK 1050/kg | MK 1250/kg | 1.09 t | MK 1.14m | ±40% | Workable |
| Pigeon peas | MK 1150/kg | MK 1400/kg | 0.89 t | MK 1.02m | ±55% | Workable |
| Sorghum | MK 700/kg | MK 850/kg | 1.29 t | MK 901k | ±30% | Workable |
Hazards to plan around
- Tobacco market dependence
- Dry spells
- Soil exhaustion