Dzalasmart decision model
Decide before you spend a kwacha
Set your district, crop and capital position. Dzalasmart reads the agro-ecology of all 28 Malawi districts and costs the whole season — break-even, funding gap, bad-year outcome and how a lender or insurer will see the plan.
Irrigation available
Crop insurance in place
Buyer / contract secured
Finance intelligence
Maize · 1 acres · Lilongwe
Workable, but thin. Fix the funding gap and lock a buyer before spending.
Season cost
MK 465k
Inputs MK 251k · labour MK 105k · post-harvest MK 109k
Expected revenue
MK 960k
1.28 t at MK 750/kg
Gross margin
MK 495k
MK 495k per acre · ROI 106%
Funding gap
MK 0
Fully covered by your own capital
Break-even yield
0.54 t/acre
You expect 1.28 t/acre
Break-even price
MK 363/kg
Market now around MK 750/kg
Bad-year outcome
MK -63k
Price slump plus a poor rainfall year
Safe repayment
MK 37k/mo
First cash in about 5 months
Before you spend a kwacha
- • Secure an offtake agreement before planting — contract price lifts revenue by about MK 192k.
- • Plant in the Late Nov – mid Dec window; the reliable season here is only 140 days.
Risks priced in
- • A 45% price fall or a poor rainfall year turns this into a loss of about MK 63k.
District intelligence
Lilongwe · Central Region
Best market access in the country — horticulture near the city outperforms staples.
Seasonal rainfall
900 mm
Altitude
1050 m
Reliable season
140 days
Planting window
Late Nov – mid Dec
Dominant soils
Sandy loam, Loam, Red soils
Irrigation potential
Moderate
Lean-season stress
14% of households
Yield vs national avg
115%
Best-fit crops
Maize, Soya beans, Groundnuts, Vegetables, Tobacco
Approach with caution
Rice, Sugarcane
Main hazards
Land pressure near city, Input cost inflation, Dry spells
Where produce sells
Lilongwe city markets · Supermarkets · Auction floors · Processors
Highest-margin options here (per acre, no contract)
| Crop | Margin / acre | Start-up / acre | Months to cash | Fit |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bananas | MK 3.20m | MK 858k | 12 | Workable |
| Vegetables (tomato/onion) | MK 3.08m | MK 1.21m | 3 | Workable |
| Macadamia | MK 2.34m | MK 1.01m | 48 | Workable |
| Irish potatoes | MK 2.00m | MK 1.25m | 4 | Workable |
| Coffee | MK 1.68m | MK 830k | 36 | Workable |