Sunflower seeds market in Malawi

Earlier Report Observations

Malawi's sunflower seed market showed consistent growth from 2018 to 2021, with production increasing from 20,312 t to 21,356 t and the domestic market size expanding from 19,477 t to 20,552 t over the same period.

This expansion halted in 2022 when production fell to 20,884 t and the market size contracted to 19,274 t. Global supply chain disruptions and the geopolitical impact of the Russia-Ukraine war introduced significant volatility and restricted sunflower seed availability, affecting local market conditions. The same year, Syngenta's acquisition of South African seed company Sensako signaled consolidation and a strengthened focus on the African sunflower seed sector.

The downturn deepened sharply in 2023, with production plummeting to 15,674 t and the market size falling to 15,570 t. Ongoing global supply chain and geopolitical factors continued to pressure the market. Concurrently, major industry player Corteva Agriscience entered a strategic partnership with Evogene to develop advanced, gene-edited sunflower traits, focusing on long-term crop resilience and yield improvement.

Production sunflower seeds in Malawi

In kind, 2017-2020, t

Top producers of sunflower seeds, 2017-2020

World map of production of sunflower seeds, 2017-2020

Malawi's sunflower seed production increased for the second consecutive year. In 2020, the country produced 21 004 tonnes of sunflower seeds, marking a slight year-over-year advance of 2.6%. The lowest production volume was recorded in 2018 at 20 312 tonnes, which also saw the largest decline of 5.2%.

Annual dynamics of production in Malawi in kind, 2017-2020, t

Exports sunflower seeds from Malawi

Exports in kind, t

The market showed noticeable fluctuations during this period. The highest export volume was registered in 2017, while the lowest occurred in 2019, with a peak-to-trough ratio of 5.6 times. In 2020, Malawi's sunflower seed exports totaled 867 tonnes, representing a significant year-over-year uptick of 40.5%. The minimum value was recorded in 2019 at 617 tonnes, and the largest decline was observed in 2018 at 74.1%.

Annual dynamics of product's exports from Malawi in kind, 2017-2020, t

From 2017 to 2020, Tanzania and Zambia together accounted for 80.1% of Malawi's total sunflower seed exports in kind, with other countries forming a diversified but less significant portion.

Structure of product's exports in kind by countries, 2017-2020

World map of product's exports from Malawi in kind, 2017-2020

Exports in value, K $ US

The market exhibited volatility during these years, with a peak in 2017 and a trough in 2019, showing a 6.3-fold variation. In 2020, sunflower seed shipments from Malawi amounted to 528 thousand US dollars, corresponding to a dramatic improvement of 104.0% compared to 2019. The minimum value was recorded in 2019 at 259 thousand US dollars, and the largest decline occurred in 2018 at 67.3%.

Annual dynamics of product's exports from Malawi in value, 2017-2020, K $ US

Throughout 2017–2020, the country structure of exports in value terms was primarily shaped by Tanzania and South Africa, which together accounted for 84.3% of total flows, while other markets formed a long tail.

Structure of product's exports in value by countries, 2017-2020

World map of product's exports from Malawi in value, 2017-2020

Imports sunflower seeds to Malawi

Imports in kind, t

The market was characterized by volatility during these years, with peak imports in 2017 and a trough in 2020, resulting in a 16-fold gap. In 2020, Malawi imported a total of 36 tonnes of sunflower seeds, representing an abrupt drop of 78.8% relative to the prior year. The largest decline was recorded in 2018 at 90.8%, while the largest increase occurred in 2019 at 223.2%.

Annual dynamics of product's imports to Malawi in kind, 2017-2020, t

From 2017 to 2020, Zambia was by far the main source for sunflower seed imports to Malawi in kind, accounting for 98.9% of total flows.

Structure of product's imports in kind by countries, 2017-2020

World map of product's imports to Malawi in kind, 2017-2020

Imports in value, K $ US

Volatility marked the market behavior during these years, with imports hitting their maximum in 2017 and falling to the lowest point in 2020—a variation of 82 times. In 2020, Malawi imported 2 thousand US dollars worth of sunflower seeds, indicating a sharp decline of 94.8% compared to the previous year. The largest decline was recorded in 2018 at 97.0%, and the largest increase was observed in 2019 at 683.8%.

Annual dynamics of product's imports to Malawi in value, 2017-2020, K $ US

In 2017–2020, two markets—Zambia and South Africa—dominated imports in value terms of sunflower seeds to Malawi, jointly accounting for 99.6% of total flows.

Structure of product's imports in value by countries, 2017-2020

World map of product's imports to Malawi in value, 2017-2020