The Agricultural Development and Marketing Corporation (ADMARC), a government parastatal that procures and sells grain, started selling maize on 24 October 2016 at a subsidised price of MWK 250 (USD 0.34) per kg, more than double the level in the previous marketing year of MWK 110 (USD 0.15). The higher price reflects increased market prices, which were underpinned by a tight domestic supply situation following the drought-reduced 2016 maize output and low carryover stocks. By late October, ADMARC procured about 100 000 tonnes of maize out of a planned volume of 250 000 tonnes. Similarly, the Malawi National Food Reserve Agency that manages the Strategic Grain Reserves has not yet procured its targeted quantity.