Experts in the agriculture sector have asked Malawi Government to put in place mechanisms that will help the country respond to the forecasted El Nino weather during the 2023-24 growing season.
Speaking in an interview yesterday, Malawi Agriculture Policy Advancement Agenda (Mwapata) executive director William Chadza expressed worry that not much is being done to respond to the warning of impending El Nino, a weather pattern characterised by prolonged dry spells.
He said government should be proactive in terms of planning on how to deal with the situation both in the immediate and long-term.
Said Chadza: “There is need for timely mobilisation, access and availability of farm inputs such as seeds to ensure early planting, good agricultural practices to get the best out of the situation as well as crop diversification as other crops may still do well in the circumstances.
“It is time to seriously focus on irrigation, given that despite the anticipated dry spells we still have water resources available.”
He warned that failing to prepare for the situation could leave the country being reactive and once the dry spells hit, not much may be done given the country’s overdependence on rain fed agriculture.
In a separate interview, agriculture policy expert Tamani Nkhono Mvula also stressed that following the warning on El Nino, the country needs to start preparations so that it is not heavily affected.
Said Nkhono Mvula: “It will be very unfortunate if we will do nothing about it because we know the consequences of dry spells and what they have done over the years.
“If we don’t do anything there is going to be reduced production which will lead to hunger and that will have a huge impact on the economy.”
Parliamentary Committee on Agriculture and Irrigation chairperson Sameer Suleman lamented that the country is not doing enough to respond to the hunger that might hit the country when El Nino strikes.
Said Suleman: “We have been talking about supporting farmers to do winter cropping to ensure that we are food secure. Already there is not enough maize and we should be very worried as a country.
“It will be sad as a country to wake up one day and see that our brothers and sisters are dying of hunger.”
Global Information and Early Warning System under Food and Agriculture Organisation indicated that Malawi is among 53 countries that are expected to be hit by El Nino induced dry spell during the 2023-24 growing season.
The report indicated that in sub-Saharan Africa, Malawi, Zambia and Zimbabwe will be the most affected as the conditions will impact cereal production.
In March this year, Malawi was hit hard by Cyclone Freddy, which caused floods and mudslides that damaged power lines, roads, farmlands and livestock as well as disrupted water supply and telecommunication services.
The cyclone destroyed 204 833 hectares of crops, including maize, pigeon peas, beans, tobacco and sorghum.
The country also experienced dry spells in Karonga and parts of Chitipa.
