The rainy season started last month but the rains have been intermittent in several districts with some areas experiencing dry spells that have forced farmers to delay planting.
Agriculture officials from Machinga and Shire Valley Agricultural Development Divisions (ADDs) and Phalombe, Chiradzulu and Zomba district councils have indicated that many farmers are yet to plant because of the erratic nature of the rains.
However, in Karonga District and in Kasungu ADD which covers Kasungu, Dowa, Ntchisi and Mchinji, officials have described the rains received as normal, saying farmers are being encouraged to plant their crops.
In an interview on Monday, Machinga ADD crops officer Dalitso Chandire said there are over 830 000 farmers under the ADD but more than 400 000 have not planted because their areas have not received consistent rains.
He expressed worry that for farmers who have already planted, there is risk that the crops will dry up if the intermittent rains continue.
“However, we are still advising farmers that they can plant crops based on weather forecasts which indicate that areas under our ADD will receive favourable rains this season,” said Chandire.
Zomba district director of agriculture services Linda Mphande said more than 60 percent of the 250 000 farming households are yet to plant while some crops which were already planted have wilted and require replanting.
On his part, Shire Valley ADD spokesperson Abraham Banda said many farmers under the ADD, which covers Chikwawa and Nsanje, have not planted.
The situation is the same in Phalombe where a large part of the district, especially areas close to Lake Chilwa, has not received adquate rains.
In Chiradzulu, the majority of farmers planted with the early rains in November .
On the other hand, Karonga district director of agriculture services Yaz Nyirenda said the district has been receiving rains for the past two weeks.
Kasungu ADD programme manager Yusuf Shaibu also told The Nation that rains have been adequate and crops which were doing well.
The Department of Climate Change and Meteorogical Services forecasted normal to above normal rains in the 2024/25 season.
In the 2023/2024 season, Malawi produced 2.9 million metric tonnes (MT) of maize which was 17 percent less than the previous season’s 3.5 million MT.
