El Nino induced drought scorches crops
A 41-year-old farmer Elias Maruwo from T/A Nchilamwera in Thyolo District embodies the stark reality of agricultural hardship, ensnared in the unforgiving clutches of prolonged dry spells.
“I feel utterly hopeless. All my maize has dried up,” explains the subsistent farmer, his eyes fixated on a desolate garden that once teemed with the promise of abundance.
Accompanied by his anxious wife, the couple moves through the arid landscape, their expressions silently narrating a tale of desperation.
Despite clouds hinting at rain in the sky on Wednesday, Maruwo’s frustration deepens as brief showers prove futile against the relentless heat.
“It can rain for less than 30 minutes and then the next four or five days, we are back to the same scorching conditions,” he laments.
Having depleted his savings and sold part of his previous harvest to purchase inputs, Maruwo now stands amid barren land, grappling with the uncertainty of securing funds for potential replanting.
“To make matters worse, I have run out of all my savings,” he explains, burdened by the weight of his predicament.
The unrelenting dry spells, attributed to El Nino, cast a sombre shadow over the 2023/24 agricultural season, impacting not just Maruwo but also farmers across Balaka, Mwanza, Chikwawa and other districts.
The looming threat of a 4.4 percent reduction in Malawi’s GDP and a staggering K337 billion maize production loss compounds their distress.
In the face of adversity, farmers such as Enelles Tembo from Chikwawa and Phalombe-based Francis Maliro confront the harsh reality of crops withering away for over four weeks.
Tembo, a beneficiary of the Affordable Inputs Programme, now grapples with a daunting question: “Where will I get more seeds and fertiliser for replanting?”
The once-vibrant promise of agricultural support fades into a desolate landscape of uncertainty.
As the situation worsens, agricultural institutions advocate for alternative production methods and smart technologies.
Lilongwe University of Agriculture and Natural Resources (Luanar), for instance, recommends water-smart agriculture and diversification into fast-maturing, drought-tolerant crops.
Luanar advisory brief released this week reads: “Integrate organic/manure and inorganic fertiliser which improves soil fertility and improves water retention concurrently.”
The advisory brief further stated that farmers should diversify by growing sorghum, pearl millet, cassava, soyabean, groundnuts, cowpeas, sweet potatoes, beans, pumpkins, leafy vegetables and other fast-maturing and drought-tolerant crops.
Amid the chaos, Luanar’s head of extension department Dr Paul Fatch urges farmers not to panic, citing instances where delayed planting yielded good harvests.
“I urge farmers to irrigate their fields. if they cannot do that they should wait for the good rains to replant,” he advises.
In a separate interview, Minister of Agriculture Sam Kawale outlines initiatives to combat the effects of El Nino, stressing collaboration with public and non-State actors.
He says crop diversification, water management and soil conservation are the El Nino mitigation measures that farmers are urged to adopt.
Agriculture policy expert Tamani Nkhono Mvula warned of prospects of floods in January and February.
“So, it is important that government puts in place contingency measures to ensure that farmers are supported,” he said.
Malawi’s dependence on rain-fed agriculture comes under scrutiny as calamities, including droughts, floods, and cyclones, repeatedly threaten maize production—the country’s staple food.
The Famine Early Warning Systems Network’s June 2023 to January 2024 report paints a bleak picture, indicating that El Nino will compound existing food insecurity challenges.
As the nation confronts these agricultural trials, the potential derailment of long-term development goals, outlined in Malawi 2063, looms large.
The struggle against nature’s unpredictability becomes not only a battle for harvests but a test of resilience, innovation and the collective will to secure a sustainable future.
