The Ministry of Agriculture announced in September that maize grain held by the Agricultural Development and Marketing Corporation (ADMARC), a government parastatal that procures and sells cereals, will be sold at MWK 170 (USD 0.23) per kg. This is more than 30 percent below the preceding level of MWK 250 (USD 0.34) per kg, in place since October 2016 (FPMA Food Policies). While the decrease was prompted by the below-average harvest this year, the significant reduction in the subsidised price reflects the sharp decline in market prices from the near-record highs of two years earlier. The distribution will target food insecure households in 26 districts that were most affected by the decline in maize production, following rainfall deficits.