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| National |
| Hunger looms in Malawi |
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by
Bright Sonani, 16 February 2005
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16:07:13
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Government says it is concerned with the current dry spell in most parts of the country and fears that it will affect this year’s maize yield, initially estimated at 1.7 million tonnes against a total consumption requirement of 2.4 million tonnes.
The situation forced government to call for an inter-ministerial meeting on Monday involving the Ministry of Agriculture, the Department of Disaster Preparedness and Rehabilitation and the Meteorological Department to chart the way forward.
Agriculture secretary Andrew Daudi said in an interview on Tuesday that government was concerned because the dry spell has come at a time when crops, especially maize, need moisture.
“As a ministry we are getting concerned, yesterday we called for a meeting and we have sent a team to all ADDs to monitor the situation. These people are expected to send their reports starting from tonight [Tuesday] and I will have the real picture by tomorrow [Wednesday] night,” he said.
He said so far it was only Kasungu and Lilongwe which have been spared of the dry spell and crops from the two districts still look promising.
Daudi said he would only be able to give out the actual situation and what action would be taken after getting information on the ground.
A survey by Nation Online indicated that some districts have gone for two to three weeks without rains with maize in several areas wilting and yellowing sending fears that hunger is imminent.
In the North, Mzuzu ADD programme manager Chris Khonje said the dry spell affected Rumphi district in Bolero and Mhuju extension planning areas (EPAs) which have had no rains for eight days and also parts of Mzimba in Bwengu, Khosolo and Mpherembe EPAs.
“If we will go without rains for another week some of these areas would have to plant again,” said Khonje, who added that Nkhata Bay has been spared the spell.
Karonga ADD programme manager Emmanuel Ching’amba said it was the traditional rain shadow area of Lutende which has been severely affected.
“In the other areas the situation is not that bad, those people who planted earlier and applied manure the crop is thriving,” he said.
Ching’amba also said the situation would be worse if the area would go without rains for the next three weeks.
Erica Maganga, programme manager for Blantyre ADD said in most areas it has not been raining for close to three weeks.
“Some crops are showing signs of wilting. The situation might have an impact on the first estimates but we would not be able to tell the actual impact until we have done the second estimates because this involves going in the field to do physical assessment of the crop while the first estimates are based on questions of what farmers would plant,” she said.
Maganga also said it would be difficult to conclude that maize will be affected because maize, unlike other crops, would normally recover after such a spell.
“The yields will somehow be affected because this is a critical point where maize is at silking and cobing stage,” she said.
Programme manager for Kasungu ADD Emmanuel Kanyinji said in most parts the rains have been sporadic and intermittent. He said it was only Kasungu Central which has been raining. Kasungu ADD covers Mchinji, Dowa, Ntchisi and Kasungu itself.
Meteorological Department Director Macdonald Kamdonyo said according to the Drought Monitoring Centre in Harare Zimbabwe the dry spell would soon be over but said the rains will still be patchy before the climate is reorganised.
He said the dry spell was normal during any rainy season only that this year it was misplaced after the country experienced no cut in rainfall in January.
“It is erratic because the break (which normally comes at the beginning of January) is coming when the crops are at a critical stage,” said Kamdonyo.
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