|
|
|
|
| National |
| Hunger looms in Malawi,Hunger looms in Malawi |
|
by
Pilirani Semu-Banda,Pilirani Semu-Banda, 07 January 2004
-
17:21:10
|
Hunger is looming in the country following a dry spell spreading over the country prompting government to form a crisis committee and to stop maize exportation to brace itself against possible starvation.
Deputy Minister of Agriculture Henry Mussa said the looming drought is a matter of serious concern especially that it has been proved that there will “obviously be a shortfall in the country’s maize harvest”.
He said most of the free farm inputs which government distributed to 1.7 million farming families under the Targeted Input Programme (TIP) has come to waste.
Mussa said the crisis committee which has been formed comprises of agricultural experts, experts from the Department of Disaster Preparedness, Ministry of Economic Development, from the Ministry of Finance and the National Statistical Office (NSO).
He said the crisis committee has so far recommended that the Strategic Grain Reserves (SGRs) be off-loaded into Admarc markets to get rid of the maize whose shelf life is coming to an end so that the money realised from selling it is put into “a special account to use it to buy maize when things get tough”.
Mussa said the country needs up to 60,000 metric tonnes in the SGRs.
He also said the committee has recommended a restriction on purchasing maize from Admarc whereby one person should not buy more than 10 bags of maize.
“All this is to guard against leaving the country with no food at all as we are approaching this unpredictable time,” said Mussa.
He said another Food Crisis Task Force comprising of government, the European Union, Development for International Development, United States Agency for International Development, World Food Programmes and World Health Organisation has also been formed to look for more ways on interventions against starvation.
Mussa said through its extension workers, his ministry is encouraging farmers to grow drought resistant crops such as cassava, sweet potatoes, sorghum, millet and also short duration maize varieties.
On livestock, Mussa said government is encouraging small holder farmers to rear such livestock as chickens, guinea fowls, rabbits and goats because they do not demand a lot of feed. He also said messages on making economic livestock feed such as hay have been developed.
“We are also intensifying irrigation programmes where 45,000 treadle pumps have been issued to farmers under a revolving fund and 80 kilometres of canals have been built to deviate water from various streams in the country, said Mussa.
On Tuesday, Director of Meteorological Services Donald Kamdonyo said the country’s rainfall pattern has become so unpredictable with a dry spell spreading over the country that his department is cautiously monitoring the performance of the season.
He said the poor performance of the rains has also affected other countries in the Sadc region such as South Africa, Botswana, Zimbabwe and Swaziland.
A Reuters report on Sunday said Swaziland’s National Disaster Relief Task Force met with meteorological, agricultural, humanitarian groups and task force chairman Ben Nsibadnze where they recommended that King Mswati’s government should declare a drought disaster.
The report said poor rains across many parts of southern Africa have raised concerns that crops will fail and that in South Africa lack of rain has stopped many farmers planting crops, reducing the potential harvest and helping push maize features to a fresh 10-month peak. ,
Hunger is looming in the country following a dry spell spreading over the country prompting government to form a crisis committee and to stop maize exportation to brace itself against possible starvation.
Deputy Minister of Agriculture Henry Mussa said the looming drought is a matter of serious concern especially that it has been proved that there will “obviously be a shortfall in the country’s maize harvest”.
He said most of the free farm inputs which government distributed to 1.7 million farming families under the Targeted Input Programme (TIP) has come to waste.
Mussa said the crisis committee which has been formed comprises of agricultural experts, experts from the Department of Disaster Preparedness, Ministry of Economic Development, from the Ministry of Finance and the National Statistical Office (NSO).
He said the crisis committee has so far recommended that the Strategic Grain Reserves (SGRs) be off-loaded into Admarc markets to get rid of the maize whose shelf life is coming to an end so that the money realised from selling it is put into “a special account to use it to buy maize when things get tough”.
Mussa said the country needs up to 60,000 metric tonnes in the SGRs.
He also said the committee has recommended a restriction on purchasing maize from Admarc whereby one person should not buy more than 10 bags of maize.
“All this is to guard against leaving the country with no food at all as we are approaching this unpredictable time,” said Mussa.
He said another Food Crisis Task Force comprising of government, the European Union, Development for International Development, United States Agency for International Development, World Food Programmes and World Health Organisation has also been formed to look for more ways on interventions against starvation.
Mussa said through its extension workers, his ministry is encouraging farmers to grow drought resistant crops such as cassava, sweet potatoes, sorghum, millet and also short duration maize varieties.
On livestock, Mussa said government is encouraging small holder farmers to rear such livestock as chickens, guinea fowls, rabbits and goats because they do not demand a lot of feed. He also said messages on making economic livestock feed such as hay have been developed.
“We are also intensifying irrigation programmes where 45,000 treadle pumps have been issued to farmers under a revolving fund and 80 kilometres of canals have been built to deviate water from various streams in the country, said Mussa.
On Tuesday, Director of Meteorological Services Donald Kamdonyo said the country’s rainfall pattern has become so unpredictable with a dry spell spreading over the country that his department is cautiously monitoring the performance of the season.
He said the poor performance of the rains has also affected other countries in the Sadc region such as South Africa, Botswana, Zimbabwe and Swaziland.
A Reuters report on Sunday said Swaziland’s National Disaster Relief Task Force met with meteorological, agricultural, humanitarian groups and task force chairman Ben Nsibadnze where they recommended that King Mswati’s government should declare a drought disaster.
The report said poor rains across many parts of southern Africa have raised concerns that crops will fail and that in South Africa lack of rain has stopped many farmers planting crops, reducing the potential harvest and helping push maize features to a fresh 10-month peak. |
| |
|
|
|
|
|
