MALAWI: Senior Chief Nankumba Appeals for Government Support as Dry Spell Threatens Food Security

By Smile Hamilton

Malawi

Senior Chief Nankumba of Mangochi has appealed to the government to intervene in the district’s dry spell by providing smallholder farmers with farm inputs for winter cropping.

The chief made the appeal on Tuesday during a monitoring visit by Mangochi District Commissioner Rodney Simwaka, saying his area is facing potential food insecurity this year after the dry spell permanently damaged some field crops.

“We started receiving some light rains last year, but from January up to now, we have not had significant rainfall, resulting in the permanent wilting of most of our crops. We are therefore urging the government to provide farm inputs for winter cropping,” said Nankumba.

Mangochi District Chief Agriculture Officer Oscar Kaombe said the district began experiencing the dry spell on January 9 this year, affecting five Extension Planning Areas (EPAs) Nankumba, Chilipa, Lulanga, Lungwena and Nansenga with Nankumba being the worst affected.

Kaombe added that out of 173,011 hectares planted with crops such as maize, soya, burley tobacco, groundnuts and rice, a total of 13,864 hectares have been affected, with 6,300 hectares permanently damaged.

District Commissioner Simwaka assured the affected communities that the government will provide support to help mitigate the impact of t

he dry spell.