The Economics Association of Malawi’s acting president, Bertha Bangara Chikadza says the only way to mitigate rising inflation in food prices is to shift away from reliance on rain-fed agriculture and implement irrigation farming.
Speaking to local media, Chikadza urged the Ministry of Agriculture to work hand in hand with large-scale commercial farmers and reduce dependence on small-scale farmers.
“The country should shift from rainfed agriculture into irrigation farming because we can grow maize three or four times a year; hence, as a country, we may have sufficient food,” Chikadza said.
This comes in the wake of the country experiencing a high inflation rate, rising from 28.1% to 28.5% in January alone, with food prices increasing from 35% to 36% during the same period, according to the Statistical Office.
