Cassava whitefly robs farmers, industries

Government of Malawi has said African cassava whitefly has robbed farmers of incomes and food and extractive industries of raw materials.

Minister of Agriculture, Irrigation and Water Development George Chaponda said this when he officially opened a second annual meeting for African Cassava Whitefly Project in Blantyre on Tuesday.

Chaponda said whiteflies continue to increase the vulnerability of farming communities to harmful effects of climate change.

African whiteflies lower the production capacity of cassava through the transmission of cassava mosaic and brown streak diseases.

“With the diseases, farmers are not only unable to produce enough cassava for food and surplus for sale, but their vulnerability to climate change has also increased.

“In the face of El Nino and other changes in climatic conditions, cassava is one crop government is encouraging farmers to grow as it is drought-resistant,” said Chaponda.

He said cassava is important in food and extractive industries as it is used to make different products.

Starch, glue are some products made from cassava.

The project—whose aim is to manage whitefly in Malawi, Tanzania and Uganda— is being funded by Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.

The foundation’s programme officer Dr Bethany Econopouly said her institution believes that people of the three countries have a right to a better life, hence, the financial support.

The meeting drew over 60 scientists from Malawi, Uganda, Tanzania, Australia, Israel, Spain, China, Ghana, the UK and the US.