Malawi in dire need of food
2004-07-08 19:56
Johannesburg - Between 1.34 million and 1.6 million people in Malawi, mostly in the country's southern regions, will require food assistance in the coming year, the latest Famine Early Warning Systems Network (Fews-Net) report on the country says.
Malawi is set to produce a maize crop of 1.73 million tons this season, down from the country's previous crop, but the third largest in the Southern African Development Community (SADC), behind South Africa and Tanzania.
Staple prices in Malawi's southern areas are higher than normal, reflecting both the supply shortage, spurred on by the near-failure of both last season's winter harvest and this year's main harvest, the report said.
An unusual season increase in demand for maize has also kept prices higher.