By Ousman Kaliati:
Agriculture Minister Sam Kawale has implored farmers in the country to either adopt new farming methods or face hunger year in year out.
He cited the adoption of modern methods of farming and crop diversification as key to meeting national food security goals.
Kawale said this at commemorations marking World Food Day and Africa Food Day for Food and Nutrition Security in Malawi in the area of Senior Chief Mwanza in Salima District.
- Advertisement -
“Things are changing with time such that farmers have to adopt new farming methods for them to contribute to the attainment of food security goals. Otherwise, they will fall victim to climate change.
- Advertisement -
“We have been facing dry spells, cyclones and heavy rains due to climate change, problems that could get worse due to population growth and urbanisation and have an impact on economic development,” he said.
Kawale also highlighted the importance of conserving water, saying it is key to agriculture sector progress.
He appealed to service providers in the water sector to extend services to rural areas, saying this is key to Malawi Implementation Plan-1, Sustainable Development Goals and Malawi 2063 vision targets.
“Water is vital whichever way one looks at it. It must, therefore, be provided to all, including those in rural areas,” Kawale said.
- Advertisement -
Food and Agriculture Organisation Country Representative Zhijuni Chen hailed the government of Malawi for its efforts in meeting nutrition goals.
Chen, however, said, without making water available to all, it would be a challenge to achieve food security.
“There a number of challenges to be addressed for Malawi to achieve food security. One of the challenges is poor access to water and the availability of resources for agriculture and development,” Chen said.
On his part, World Food Programme Country Representative Paul Turnbull said there is a need for stakeholders to join hands in efforts aimed at conserving and easing access to water.
“One of the things that have to be done is proper management of water. There is also a need to reduce the rate of deforestation as one way of dealing with climate change,” he said.
This year’s World Food Day and Africa Day for Food and Nutrition Security in Malawi was commemorated under the theme ‘Water is Life: Leave No One Behind’.
