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 ha · Lilongwe
High risk. Reduce hectares, switch to a district-suited crop, or add insurance and a contract.
Season cost
MK 1.15m
Inputs MK 620k · labour MK 260k · post-harvest MK 269k
Expected revenue
MK 2.37m
3.16 t at MK 750/kg
Gross margin
MK 1.22m
MK 1.22m per ha · ROI 106%
Funding gap
MK 649k
Credit or input loan needed
Break-even yield
1.32 t/ha
You expect 3.16 t/ha
Break-even price
MK 363/kg
Market now around MK 750/kg
Bad-year outcome
MK -155k
Price slump plus a poor rainfall year
Safe repayment
MK 92k/mo
First cash in about 5 months
Before you spend a kwacha
- • Raise MK 649k in credit or inputs on loan — that is your funding gap.
- • Secure an offtake agreement before planting — contract price lifts revenue by about MK 474k.
- • 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 155k.
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 hectare, no contract)
| Crop | Margin / ha | Start-up / ha | Months to cash | Fit |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bananas | MK 7.90m | MK 2.12m | 12 | Workable |
| Vegetables (tomato/onion) | MK 7.62m | MK 3.00m | 3 | Workable |
| Macadamia | MK 5.78m | MK 2.50m | 48 | Workable |
| Irish potatoes | MK 4.94m | MK 3.10m | 4 | Workable |
| Coffee | MK 4.15m | MK 2.05m | 36 | Workable |