Hope that inputs will prevent further food shortages

With much-needed rain finally spreading across Malawi, the British government hoped that the seed and fertiliser starter packs it had helped fund for two million households in the country would prevent another year of critical food and seed shortages. Earlier this year, faced with a poor harvest and empty grain reserves, President Bakili Muluzi declared a disaster and appealed for international aid for families who had no food. Out of desperation, many families had eaten seed meant for planting for their next crop and in addition, an unexpectedly high cholera rate had left some farmers too weak to grow crops or seed for the following year. Aid agencies in Malawi said 3.2 million people needed urgent food assistance but above all, they needed seeds to plant for the next harvest. In addition, many impoverished farmers lamented difficulties they had in growing crops without fertiliser, which they could not afford. Farmers finally received help in the form of the Ministry of Agriculture and Irrigation's Extended Targeted Input Programme (ETIP). Each household received a free pack containing 1 kg of legume seeds, 2 kgs of maize seed and 10 kgs of fertiliser. The programme, which received a contribution of US $10.3 million from the British government's Department for International Development (DFID), US $3 million from the Norwegian government and US $1.5 million from the Malawi government, had reached double the number of recipients in 2001 and was expected to make a "substantial" impact on food and maize production in 2003, a statement from the British government said. "It's a success story. We have supplied seeds and fertiliser in our packs, which they may not have, to two million people. Hopefully that'll arrest the situation," Michael Nevin, spokesman for the British High Commission in Malawi, told IRIN. Gift Rapozo, District Commissioner of Salima District, said the programme would go a long way in assisting needy families and to improve their food status. "The inputs distribution process has been completed with no major hiccups. The registration process was done in good time and all beneficiaries in my area received the pack before the rains started. This year's inputs distribution has improved tremendously and very few will complain about the timing of the input distribution," he said. In targeting households, the programme considered how many households had access to alternative sources of seed to turn to. Meanwhile, the Famine Early Warning Systems Network (FEWS NET) reported that after a false start in October, the real planting rains had finally started in Malawi, setting off a rush to buy seeds and shortages in some areas. The price of seed and fertiliser remained stable but still out of reach for the poorest households who, due to the late rains and last year's poor crops, could not fall back on casual weeding and farm labour jobs to raise some cash. However, with the planting delayed by a month, crops would also be at their maturation stage a month later. Normally in January and February, households in the southern regions would be able to start harvesting green maize for consumption or to sell to raise cash for food. But due to the late rains, they would have to wait until next February and March. "There is an immediate need, therefore, to preposition enough food stocks (maize) either for sale or free distribution across the country to avert hunger," FEWS NET warned. The meteorological office warned that the late onset of the planting rains may result in a short rainfall season, so farmers should be encouraged to plant early maturing varieties.