Climate-induced shocks such as crop failure and droughts have emerged as factors that have worsened sharply over the past decade in a new perceptions survey by pan-African pollster and research outfit Afrobarometer.
Findings of the survey conducted in August 2024 but whose results were disseminated on Friday show that 86 percent of the respondents said crop failure has become more severe in their areas while 77 percent said droughts have intensified and six in 10 Malawians reported worsening land or soil erosion.
The survey, which had a sample size of 1 200, further indicates that almost half of Malawians reported that mudslides or landslides and floods have become more severe.
The report said that more than half of the respondents said they have changed the crops they grow or the foods they consume in response to changing weather patterns while more than two in 10 people report having relocated.
Reads the report in part: “By region, the South appears most strongly affected by all of these climate-related occurrences. The Central and Northern regions are about equally likely to report increasingly severe crop failure, droughts, and erosion, while the North complains more about floods and the Central Region more about mudslides or landslides.”
Experts in agriculture have said the findings reflect realities on the ground where climate-related challenges such as dry spells and floods have led to crop failure and a decline in maize production.
In an interview yesterday, agriculture policy expert Tamani Nkhono-Mvula noted that while diversification into drought resistant crops is promoted, programmes supporting crop production such as the Farm Inputs Subsidy Programme have remained oriented towards maize production.
“The government needs to ensure that as it promotes diversification, the support provided to farmers in terms of inputs and institutionalised markets should be extended to production of drought resistant crops,” he said.
Another agriculture expert Leonard Chimwaza said the high market value of maize has further discouraged farmers from adopting alternative food crops that have potential to withstand harsh weather.
He warned that persistent crop failure has long term consequences as scarce public resources will increasingly be diverted toward emergency food relief.
Ministry of Agriculture, Irrigation and Water Development spokesperson Salome Gangire was yet to respond by press time at 9pm.
In the past decade, Malawi has experienced several extreme weather events, including floods, droughts and storms. In 2023, Cyclone Freddy caused flooding and mudslides that washed away at least 28 000 hectares of maize belonging to 509 244 households.
In the 2024/25 agriculture season which was characterised by dry spells and floods, 2 962 620 metric tonnes (MT) of maize was produced against a national requirement of 3.5 million MT.
