Govt warns of extreme weather conditions

The 2017-2018 growing season may experience some extreme weather conditions despit

e favourable rainfall forecast, the Ministry of Agriculture, Irrigation and Water Development has said.

In a press statement released last Thursday and signed by Principal Secretary Erica Maganga, the ministry says most parts of the country will receive  normal rains.

But it cautions that the country could also experience  erratic weather conditions that may negatively affect agricultural production in the next growing season.

“Episodes of extreme weather events such as prolonged dry spells and floods may occur in some places associated with neutral El Nino Southern Oscillation (ENSO) conditions during the forecast period,” the statement further says.

In the last growing season, Malawi experienced severe weather conditions like floods in some parts which affected crop production and left thousands of people homeless.

The ministry is further urging farmers to reserve enough seed for replanting so as not to be caught off guard if need arises and also to make use of short and medium range forecasts issued by the Department of Climate Change and Meteorological Services.