Southern Region
Mwanza district intelligence
Dry and stony — drought-tolerant crops and livestock outperform hybrid maize.
District intelligence
Mwanza · Southern Region
Dry and stony — drought-tolerant crops and livestock outperform hybrid maize.
Seasonal rainfall
850 mm
Altitude
700 m
Reliable season
120 days
Planting window
Mid Nov – early Dec
Dominant soils
Sandy loam, Shallow stony
Irrigation potential
Low
Lean-season stress
32% of households
Yield vs national avg
85%
Best-fit crops
Maize, Sorghum, Pigeon peas, Cotton
Approach with caution
Irish potatoes, Rice
Main hazards
Drought, Thin soils, Livestock disease
Where produce sells
Mwanza border market · Mozambique trade · Blantyre
Highest-margin options here (per acre, no contract)
| Crop | Margin / acre | Start-up / acre | Months to cash | Fit |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bananas | MK 2.14m | MK 858k | 12 | Workable |
| Vegetables (tomato/onion) | MK 1.96m | MK 1.21m | 3 | Workable |
| Macadamia | MK 1.46m | MK 1.01m | 48 | Workable |
| Coffee | MK 1.02m | MK 830k | 36 | Workable |
| Sweet potatoes | MK 925k | MK 267k | 5 | Workable |
Market prices in Mwanza
Farmgate and contract prices, with the revenue an acre returns here after the district yield factor and crop fit are applied.
| Crop | Farmgate | Contract | Yield / acre | Revenue / acre | Price swing | Fit here |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vegetables (tomato/onion) | MK 700/kg | MK 900/kg | 5.57 t | MK 3.90m | ±60% | Workable |
| Bananas | MK 550/kg | MK 650/kg | 6.81 t | MK 3.75m | ±30% | Workable |
| Macadamia | MK 4200/kg | MK 5000/kg | 0.62 t | MK 2.60m | ±35% | Workable |
| Sugarcane | MK 95/kg | MK 120/kg | 26.31 t | MK 2.50m | ±15% | Workable |
| Irish potatoes | MK 650/kg | MK 780/kg | 3.13 t | MK 2.03m | ±42% | Not advised |
| Tea | MK 2600/kg | MK 2900/kg | 0.74 t | MK 1.93m | ±20% | Workable |
| Coffee | MK 5200/kg | MK 6200/kg | 0.37 t | MK 1.93m | ±40% | Workable |
| Cassava | MK 320/kg | MK 400/kg | 4.95 t | MK 1.59m | ±25% | Workable |
| Sweet potatoes | MK 420/kg | MK 520/kg | 3.41 t | MK 1.43m | ±35% | Workable |
| Tobacco | MK 3200/kg | MK 3900/kg | 0.43 t | MK 1.39m | ±50% | Workable |
| Poultry (broilers, per 500 birds) | MK 4200/kg | MK 4600/kg | 0.28 t | MK 1.17m | ±25% | Workable |
| Beans | MK 2100/kg | MK 2450/kg | 0.34 t | MK 715k | ±33% | Workable |
| Maize | MK 750/kg | MK 900/kg | 0.95 t | MK 709k | ±45% | Recommended |
| Rice | MK 1400/kg | MK 1650/kg | 0.49 t | MK 689k | ±28% | Not advised |
| Groundnuts | MK 1800/kg | MK 2300/kg | 0.37 t | MK 669k | ±35% | Workable |
| Soya beans | MK 1250/kg | MK 1500/kg | 0.50 t | MK 619k | ±30% | Workable |
| Cotton | MK 1050/kg | MK 1250/kg | 0.42 t | MK 437k | ±40% | Recommended |
| Pigeon peas | MK 1150/kg | MK 1400/kg | 0.34 t | MK 392k | ±55% | Recommended |
| Sorghum | MK 700/kg | MK 850/kg | 0.49 t | MK 344k | ±30% | Recommended |
Hazards to plan around
- Drought
- Thin soils
- Livestock disease