Malawi confirms maize deficit: Agriculture production down by 27.7 percent

Malawi has officially released on Tuesday the results of 2014/15 Agriculture Production estimates which show a decrease of 27.7 percent of maize production in the country.

Minister of Agriculture, Irrigation and Water Development, Allan Chiyembekeza said on Tuesday in the capital Lilongwe that maize production has decreased from 3.9 million metric tons realized in 2013/14 Agricultural season to 2.9 million tons in the current season.

“This decline is mainly attributed to floods and prolonged dry spell that the country experienced in the course of the season,” he said.

As such, he said, the implication of the reduction in maize production is that the country will have a maize deficit of 123,340 tons.

He added that the results also shows the decrease in other major food crops such as rice, cassava and sorghum while sweet and Irish potatoes have increased their production.

Cash crops such as pulses have registered a slight increase while cotton and Ground nuts have decreased, he said.

He however said his government has put in place mitigation measures to avert the looming hunger like promoting the growing of cassava and sweet potatoes, distribution of Agriculture inputs to farmers for irrigation, replenishing grain strategic reserves and distribution of small livestock among others.

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