Subsistence farmers in Ntauchira, Chiradzulu District, are calling for increased government and partner support to mitigate the impacts of climate change on their agricultural production.
The farmers report declining yields in recent years due to erratic weather patterns, which experts attribute to climate change.
In March of last year, their area was severely affected by mudslides triggered by Tropical Cyclone Freddy, which ravaged the Southern Region, leaving at least 1,200 people dead.
It also washed away thousands of hectares of crop fields, particularly maize, which is Malawi’s staple grain.
Frank Jumbe, a leader of a farmers’ group in Ntauchira, stressed the urgent need for support in an interview with The Daily Times.
“We rely on farming but climate change is hitting us hard. When floods hit our area last year, we lost everything. Now, this year, we are also affected by dry spells. We need support to cultivate drought-resistant crops and venture into irrigation farming with adequate inputs,” Jumbe said.
In March this year, President Lazarus Chakwera declared a state of disaster in 23 out of 28 districts, urging local and international partners to assist in feeding households affected by hunger.
Malawi requires substantial funding to ensure food security following crop losses due to El Nino-induced dry weather, the President said.
Meanwhile, the Malawi Vulnerability Assessment Committee projects an increase in the number of people needing food aid from 4.2 million to 5.7 million between October and March next year, the lean period.
The committee’s report on the 2024-25 harvest season also forecasts rising food prices, exacerbated by delayed rains and prolonged dry spells caused by El Nino.
Jumbe remains hopeful that government and partner support will effectively reach farmers in his community to address climate-induced challenges.
“We hear that Malawi receives funds to respond to climate change impacts, but we don’t see much happening in our area,” he lamented.
Recently, the Green Climate Fund approved $52.3 million (K91.6 billion) to help Malawi cope with climate change effects and enhance food security.
Led by the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations, the initiative aims to benefit 575,000 vulnerable people in rural communities over six years.
