Malawi is an agricultural country that bases its economy not just on the food it produces for export, but also on crops grown by rural families providing their own food, and a little surplus to trade with. All things change, however, and there are factors affecting the balance of production in all farming and industrial endeavours in the country.

Tobacco was, and still is, an important crop that provides much of Malawi's foreign currency requirements. Tea, sugar and coffee are also grown and exported and cotton and paprika are grown for sale by small-holders. Rubber plantations are important in the north and have recently been revitalised.

Rice maize and sorghum are food crops grown by the population for themselves, along with vegetable crops like tomatoes and cabbage and fruits including citrus. Beans and pulses are grown not only as food crops, but also to enrich and revitalize soils. Chilli peppers are an emerging cash crop for export.

Manufacturing mostly caters for locally needed articles and engineering to support the agricultural sector, although exports are now vigorously encouraged.