Malawi'’s agricultural sector is critical to its economy, employing around 77% of the population and accounting for 23% of gross domestic product (GDP). The majority of workers in agriculture are smallholder farmers, many of whom cultivate less than one hectare of land. Despite its importance, the sector faces significant challenges, …
Blantyre — At least 1, 398 houses have collapsed in Blantyre and more damage is expected as the rain continues. Blantyre Assistant District Disaster Risk Management Officer, Walusungu Mwafulirwa said at least one person from Traditional Authority Kuntaja has died as a result of the disaster. Mwafulirwa said out of …
The number of people killed in rain-induced flooding in Malawi has reached 30 with 377 others injured, the Department of Disaster Management Affairs (DoDMA) has confirmed. DoDMA spokesperson Chipiliro Khamula confirmed the death toll to local media on Monday, saying a total of 93,730 households have been affected by the …
The number of people killed in heavy rains and flooding in southern Malawi has risen to 28, an official said on Sunday, while the estimated number of people affected has roughly doubled. Chipiliro Khamula, a spokesman for Malawi’s Department of Disaster Management in the Ministry of Homeland Security, said that …
Government has suspended the sale and movement of animals in some parts of Mzimba following an outbreak of foot and mouth disease. Livestock movement restricted in the wake of foot and mouth disease scare Ministry of Agriculture, Irrigation and Water Development said the affected area is Champhira Extension Planning Area …
Scientists from an international maize research organization said Thursday that a deadly maize disease that has ravaged farms across eastern Africa since 2011 has been contained. Boddupalli Prasanna, director of global maize program at the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center, said the maize lethal necrosis disease (MLN) is under …
Lilongwe — Malawi Government says through the Ministry of Agriculture, Irrigation and Water Development has managed to eradicate the Fall Army worm outbreaks in the 2018-2019 farming season. The fall army worm, which has been so destructive to the staple grain-maize, affected three districts of Salima, Balaka and Chikwawa. Speaking …
Agriculture is critical to Malawi’s future. It accounts for 80% of employment, more than 80% of foreign exchange earnings, and 64% of total income among the rural population. Due to the importance of agriculture to livelihoods and the economy, Malawi is among the countries most at risk from climate change …
The Nutrition Embedded Evaluation Program Impact Evaluation (NEEP-IE) cluster randomized control trial (CRCT) aimed to assess the effectiveness of implementing an agriculture and nutritional intervention through preschools, known as community-based child care centres (CBCCs) in Malawi. This included; activities to promote nutritious food production and consumption, promotion of optimal feeding …
This report is a critical review of two of the principal agricultural laws in Malawi, the Special Crops Act and the Agriculture (General Purposes) Act. Both are frequently used to justify interventions by government in agricultural marketing and trade activities. The review is to assess whether this legislation is effective …
Malawi currently faces an environmental cycle of decline and degradation. The challenges it faces are complex and interrelated, but there are two underlying drivers behind this decline. Population growth places huge demands on natural systems with more land being converted to agriculture and more forests being harvested for the wood …
Soil and nutrients loss are among the major impediments to a stable and sustained agricultural development in Malawi. They have historically affected the country but the high population growth, rapid deforestation, overgrazing and ploughing, combined with the impacts of climate change, such as temperature increases and changing precipitation patterns, are …
The Department of Parks and Wildlife in Malawi says it is investigating the cause of massive deaths of hippos at one of its national parks, Liwonde. The investigation follows the deaths of 22 hippos in a month, a scenario described by authorities as strange in the history of the country. …
Mangochi — Lack of coalition and coordination among African leaders are the major causes of loss of billions of money in the mining industry for the continent, African Forum and Network on Debt and Development (Afrodad) revealed on Friday. The Network made the revelation in Mangochi during the closing of …
Over the past ten years, there have been several initiatives in Malawi to strengthen the processes through which the design and content of policies, strategies, and programs in the agriculture sector that affect the nation’s food security are established. This report present results of a study to assess the quality …
Many rural communities in sub-Saharan Africa still lack clean water for basic needs such as drinking and washing. Even where water points have been constructed, many break down prematurely or provide inadequate, seasonal or poor quality water supplies. While techno-managerial factors are relevant in explaining these problems, attention is needed …
Evaluations of social protection interventions across Africa often register significant success in improving household food security indicators, but little or no improvement in individual nutritional outcomes. One reason is under-coverage of poor people; another is the low value of social transfers. This paper reviews experiences with social protection in six …
Life was never easy for Salome Nkalawire but when her husband died the mother of four faced her toughest challenge yet. She lost the small plot of land the couple had bought together and farmed in Mwingitsa village in the south of Malawi, one of the poorest countries in the …
Improved storage techniques have shown they can cut the loss of harvested maize by 10 percent in Tanzania, and help one-third fewer households go hungry in the lean season, Swiss researchers said. As Africa's population rises and climate change threatens more harvests, simple efforts to protect what is harvested could …
In sub-Saharan Africa, biofuels have been touted as more sustainable alternatives to fossil fuels, wood and charcoal – but do they help alleviate poverty and improve well-being for farmers and end-users? This brief summarises insights from a three-country study in which an ecosystem services approach was to assess the trade-offs …
“Sometimes, there are tons of babies, and there are not that many nurses, so they’re understaffed. It was really hard to work there, but then it also challenged me to really go back and work really hard to be able to provide this care that is accessible to them,” said …
