Malawi's food woes to increase
2004-03-19 15:26
Blantyre - Malawi's maize output for this year is expected to drop by 24% from 2003, dealing a further blow to the impoverished southern African nation which is reeling under food shortages, a minister said on Friday.
Deputy Agriculture Minister Henry Mussa said the decline in the national staple food would have grave consequences.
"People will face food shortages this year with maize alone expected to drop by close to 600 000 metric tons," he said.
Malawi normally produces two million tons of maize annually, which is enough to feed its estimated 11 million people.
Mussa said the maize harvest for this year was provisionally put at 1 506 949 tons.
"The country will have a maize gap of 515 860 tons in the next consumption season," he said, adding that the estimates were based on summer production by small farmers, who together contribute 80% of the food output in Malawi.
In January, Malawi launched an appeal for international food relief, saying a third of its people faced imminent starvation.
"Over 3.5 million Malawians, representing 32% of the population, most of them in the southern region, have already run out of food and are on the verge of starvation," Agriculture Minister Chakufwa Chihana, who doubles as the country's second vice president had said.
Two years ago, the country faced its worst hunger crisis in 50 years, affecting up to 76% of the population.
Food security is a pressing issue in Malawi, where an estimated 60% of rural households are unable to meet their nutritional requirements.
The shortages have been partly due to unpredictable rains.
Meteorological experts here say the rainfall pattern has become unpredictable. Normally rains start in October in many parts of the country, but last year the rains did not begin in most areas until December.