Buffaloes cause headache

2005-09-27 09:46

Felix Mponda

Blantyre - Sugar cane farmers in drought-hit southern Malawi are battling to drive out hundreds of buffaloes who have been crossing into the fields in search of water, destroying crops.

Buffaloes from the neighbouring Lengwe game reserve have been invading the sugar cane fields, Malawi's biggest, since 2002 but while there used to be only 50 of them making the daily trek, the number has recently gone up to 200.

"Encroachment has reached unprecedented levels and some of the buffaloes have taken residence on the estate and do not go back to the park," says Irine Banda, spokesperson in Malawi for the South African-owned Illovo Sugar company.

Last year, a sugar cane field worker was killed by one of the animals.

Lengwe game reserve is home to 2 000 buffaloes, the biggest sanctuary in the poor southern African nation, despite a serious problem with poachers.

Workers scared

Illovo estimates that about 13 000 tons of cane have been lost to buffalo encroachment since 2002 on the 12 000-hectare sugar estate, representing a loss of about 27 million kwacha ($218 000).

"Work operations, including irrigation, fertilising and hand weeding get interrupted occasionally when workers are scared to enter the field canes," said Banda.

The buffaloes are causing mayhem because of a broken-down fence around the Lengwe game reserve in Chikwawa district, 50km south of the commercial capital Blantyre.

There has been no shortage of attempts to push back the buffaloes.

Illovo hired a Malawi army helicopter to "scare the animals back into the park" but that failed, Banda said.

A new irrigation system was installed in the game reserve to provide water for the buffaloes and to grow grass for grazing within the park boundaries but that also was in vain, she added.

Illovo, which produces 260 000 tons of sugar annually, "is negotiating with government to find a lasting solution to the problem," said Banda.

Conservationist Max del Bufalo who runs a lodge inside the game park told AFP: "The only solution is to raise $500 000 to erect a 50km fence around the game park."

"It's a big terrible circle of problems - we have to increase water supply for the animals because with drought, the buffaloes are hungry and want to go where there is food and water, and then we have to stop poaching."

Due to poverty and population growth, Malawi's wild animals are often poached.

Malawi is one of the poorest countries in the world, with about 60% of the population living below the poverty line and earning less than a dollar a day.

- AFP