Approximately 89 percent of surveyed farmers particularly in urban areas of Blantyre, Lilongwe, Mzuzu and Zomba harvested early primarily to prevent theft of their crops.
Premature maize harvesting (PMH) has become an increasingly common and recurring practice among smallholder farmers, and is driven by food insecurity, theft, economic pressures and climate variability.
This is contained in a policy brief titled “Immature Crop Harvest: Implications on Post-Harvest Losses, Quality, Safety, and Food Security in Malawi”.
It is published by the Centre For Agricultural Research and Development (CARD) at the Lilongwe University for Agriculture and Natural resources (LUANAR).
The study collected data from 291 smallholder farmers randomly selected; 32 percent in Blantyre and 68 percent in Lilongwe conducted in the first week of April 2025, between 1st and 6th April. Premature maize harvesting involves harvesting maize before it reaches physiological maturity, often when the grain moisture content exceeds 30 percent.
The trend is influenced by several factors such as food insecurity, theft prevention, economic pressures, and increasing unpredictable weather patterns.
“Theft of green maize has also influenced PMH, especially as the crop nears maturity, making farmers insecure about crop production.
“Additionally, seasonal food shortages, particularly in the months leading up to the next harvest, often compel households to harvest early.”
Compounding PMH is limited access to alternative food sources, weak market linkages, and poor financial inclusion services, all of which exacerbate the harmful effects of PMH, namely, post-harvest losses, poor grain quality, persistent food insecurity, and diminishing disposable household income.
About 42 percent of farmers surveyed reported that the practice can lead to post-harvest losses, thereby increasing the cost of post-harvest management practices like drying. What are the study’s implications on the practice?
“Harvesting maize before physiological maturity increases the risk of mycotoxin contamination, mold infestation, reduced nutritional quality, and lower market value—factors that directly compromise household food and income security.
“Additionally, 19% of farmers reported that PMH is associated with grain damage, where immature maize lacks structural integrity, making it more prone to damage during shelling, transport, and processing.” the study reads
The study further indicates that immature maize will taste differently and has lower starch content, with a higher concentration of fermentable plant sugars, leading to a fast drop in pH, and inhibiting undesirable bacteria growth.
Food consumed with aflatoxins has also been linked to an increased risk of liver cancer and childhood stunting.
It recommends a holistic and integrated approach as pivotal for effectively managing the effects of PMH highlighting seven evidence-based policy options aimed at reducing post-harvest losses, improving grain quality, and ensuring household food security in the short – long-term.
Key policy options include strengthening community policing and enforcing bans on green maize sales, promoting winter cropping, enhancing targeted agricultural extension services, designing effective social safety nets for cushioning farmers from food shortages, promoting community-based storage solutions, developing reliable and accessible markets, and investing in research to breed crop varieties resistant to pre- and post-harvest stress.
