maize

Last month, Malawi blocked imports of flour, rice, ginger, bananas and maize from Tanzania, and other countries, saying this was to protect local producers.

Malawi, which shares a border with Tanzania, has blocked imports of flour, rice, ginger, bananas and maize from its northern neighbour.

But as the two countries work on a trade deal, experts say Washington now wants to push "big-ticket" farm exports - wheat, cotton, corn and maize - to narrow its $45bn trade deficit with India.

“There’s a disturbing level of contamination of native maize with genetically modified traits,” said Timothy Wise, a researcher at the Global Development and Environment Institute at Tufts University.

He is bringing with him desperately needed food - maize meal, peanuts and beans - for his family who are already at a makeshift camp set up in the town's football stadium.