Climate smart agriculture could boost productivity, says CisaNet
Civil Society Agricultural Network (CisaNet) has said in the face of threats of climate change in the agriculture sector, farmers have to invest in climate smart agriculture to boost productivity.
CisaNet national director Tamani NKhono-Mvula, responding in an e-mailed questionnaire last week, said climate change has affected rainfall patterns; hence, the need for farmers to look beyond traditional methods of farming and also invest in livestock production.
He said: “Malawi has over the years relied on maize as a staple crop and tobacco as a cash crop, a development which has slowed the sector. This calls for alternative investment in livestock production and agriculture practices that are climate friendly.”
A recent report by International Monetary Fund (IMF) titled Shock Waves: Managing the Impacts of Climate Change on Poverty, said poor people are at high risk from climate-related shocks.