Unlocking the Full Economic Potential of Malawi’s Poultry Value Chain through Targeted Investments.
First release: 22 September, 2026

Malawi's poultry sector has strong genetics and rising consumer demand. However, high feed costs, driven by maize and soybean prices, consume 70-77% of production costs and keep chicken out of reach for many households. This policy brief shows that a coordinated package of reforms—cutting Value Added Tax (VAT) on soybean cake and vet inputs, stabilizing maize markets, streamlining exports to Mozambique, and expanding irrigation—could unlock over US$308 million in additional GDP growth. The findings point to a clear near-term priority: lower feed costs first, since input reforms alone could cut production costs by 10-15% and trigger gains across the entire value chain.
Photo Credit: https://www.food.systems/


