Inputs needed to avert food crisis next year

The prohibitive costs of agricultural inputs has prevented many Malawian farmers from planting in preparation for next year's harvest. The Famine Early Warning Systems Network (FEWS NET) monthly report said although farm inputs were readily available in most parts of the country, they were still too expensive for many poor households. Last month NGOs warned that if farmers across Southern Africa did not receive timely inputs, many countries affected by the current food crisis could expect a poor harvest next year. "While some farmers in the Southern region have taken advantage of the recent rains and have begun planting, the lack of inputs has forced most farmers to delay planting until the main rains in December," assistant Director of FEWS NET Malawi, Evance Chapasupa, said. Chapasupa added that the government had expanded its free input distribution programme to reach about three million farmers, but the Ministry of Agriculture was encouraging farmers to start using composted manure instead of purchased fertiliser. Some 3.2 million Malawians are facing critical food shortages, mainly due to a severe drought. FEWS NET said that more food imports were urgently required to cover the national food gap. By 31 October the food gap had only been reduced to 506,800 mt. If all pledged food aid and planned commercial imports arrived, the gap would be reduced to 275,000 mt. "While the planned commercial imports have arrived and continue to arrive, the food aid from NGOs hasn't been as forthcoming. There is a need to speed up food aid imports, as the main rains could start at any time making it difficult to deliver some food along some routes," Chapasupa said. Assessments last month revealed that World Food Programme (WFP) food stocks for the emergency operation were low and stood at 8,000 mt, of which only 200 mt was maize, the report noted. WFP Malawi Representative Gerald Van Dyke told IRIN: "There is a shortfall in WFP stocks but we are remedying that with a loan of 10,000 mt of maize from the government. This should help the situation improve. People are being reached, although most do not receive full rations but the basic 50 kg maize ration per household." FEWS NET said some farmers had benefited from growing winter crops as a way of addressing food shortages. In the Chitipa district in the Northern region the number of households growing winter crops almost doubled from 2,682 last year to 4,986 this year, an 86 percent increase.