Malawi’s Ministry of Agriculture Irrigation and Water Development has disclosed that maize production has gone down, a development that poses a risk of hunger in the country.
Through its final survey, the ministry has disclosed that estimated maize production in the 2017/18 growing season is at 2,697,959 metric tonnes representing a 22.1 percent decrease as compared to 2015/16 final estimated surge of maize production that projected 3,464,139 metric tonnes.
Rice production is reported to have gone down in the farming year of 2017/18, the same as millet and wheat whose estimates show a decline of 12.2 and 2.2 percent respectively.
Soya beans, Pigeon Peas and beans are also among crops that are reported to have given low figures on production.
However, the survey shows that horticulture crops have increased in production, among them being pineapples, mangoes, tomatoes and tangerines.
Livestock production is also reported to have gone up.
Dry spells and armyworms are said to have been the cause of the decline in maize production in the farming year of 2017/18.
Meanwhile, Malawi is yet to deal with armyworms as no reliable pesticide to kill the worms has been identified.
According to the survey done,it shows there will be a calamity of hunger such that our staple food is from maize.
The government therefore should put more effort on fighting against the armyworms and insist on trees plantation to avoid further and worst problems in future.
I hope the 2018/2019 farm production will come up with vast harvest and we will manage to cover the gap of percentage we lost in 2017/2018 maize production.