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, …
The Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) said 29 African countries out of 37 are currently in need of external food assistance, unchanged from November 2017. The UN food agency listed the countries as Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Congo, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, …
Chiradzulu — A 51 year old woman Emilda Kasambwe was admitted to Chiradzulu District Hospital after being stricken by thunder last week. Kasambwe met her fate when she was coming from the hospital's guardian shelter where she went to prepare supper for her grandchild who had also been admitted at …
Malawi has launched a new generation of typhoid vaccines making it the first country in Africa using the vaccines to fight typhoid infections in children. Four-year-old Golden Kondowe was the first child to receive the vaccine, on Wednesday (January 21) in Blantyre’s Ndirande Township. The settlement has registered at least …
Mulanje — An effort to shore up water to Blantyre is drawing protests from people who say "we can't serve Blantyre before we serve ourselves" With increasingly prolonged droughts threatening worsening water shortages, Malawi is moving to shore up water supplies to its cities, including building new long-distance pipelines and …
Blantyre District Council says it intends to plant over 30 million tree seedlings before the end of this year’s national tree planting season. Blantyre District Commissioner (DC), Bennet Nkasala made the announcement on Saturday at the launch of the district’s tree planting exercise in the area of Village Headman Sabantini …
Armed with fish soup and neem leaves, as well as chemical pesticides, Malawi's drought-hit farmers are fighting a caterpillar that is devouring their crops and putting them at risk of hunger. The fall armyworm, an invasive Latin American species that is harder to detect and eradicate than its African counterpart, …
Lilongwe — The death toll of cholera in the country has risen to 10 after the death of one person in Lilongwe in the early hours of Tuesday, the Minister of Health, Atupele Muluzi has confirmed. Speaking with Malawi News Agency in an interview at Parliament building in Lilongwe on …
Farm Radio Trust will carry out a three-year research study starting this year (2018) to find out how Information and Communication Technology (ICT) impacts on agricultural productivity in Malawi. The development came to light Wednesday in Lilongwe when the radio trust organised a consultative stakeholder session on the use of …
Machinga District Forestry Officer Harry Chalira on Thursday disclosed that the district is targeting to plant 3 million trees during this year’s tree planting season. Speaking during a tree planting exercise at Mwamadi community ground, Chalira said the council has so far planted over 2, 500.000 tress along the river …
Lilongwe — Malnutrition could have long term effects on the brain - Pic sourced from internet Ministry of health says malnutrition still remains a major contributing factor to morbidity and mortality among vulnerable populations especially children, pregnant and lactating women, elderly and people living with HIV. Chief of Health Services, …
Lilongwe — More than 2 000 people rendered homeless by floods in Malawi are living under dire conditions amid lack of basic needs. The heavy rains that have been pummeling most districts around the Southern African country have affected about 900 households. Floods have been most severe in the Salima, …
Phalombe District Council in collaboration with a local Non- Governmental Organization (NGO) DUnited Purpose (UP) on Wednesday launched the 2017/18 district tree planting season with hope of planting a record 1.2 million tree seedlings by the end of season in April. The event which took place at Mianga Primary School …
Blantyre Agricultural Development Division (BLADD) says 32 935 hectares of crops in the divison has been severely hit by the prolonged dry spell; rendering over 129 852 families vulnerable to food insecurity. BLADDProgram Manager, Erick Haraman said in an interview on Thursday that the affected families shuld start planting drought …
Lilongwe — TORRENTIAL rains and flooding have left more than 100 households in central Malawi. The inclement weather has hit parts of the Southern African country since Wednesday. Some 105 households have been displaced from Kalonga and Pemba in Salima District. About 30 families have been relocated to a camp …
A total of 33,948 farming households have been affected by fall armyworms in Dedza, raising fears there may be a reduction in maize production during this farming season, Agriculture officials have confirmed. Speaking in an interview with the Malawi News Agency ,Crops Officer at Dedza Agriculture Office, John Malunga said …
Globally consistent and reliable power supply is fundamental to the broader development agenda. Without electricity it is not easy for the government to offer quality essential services in many sectors. The private sector also needs reliable electricity to manufacture high quality products and offer world-class services. At household level, consumers …
Due to persistent power outages that Malawians have been experiencing over the past few months, government has procured 78 diesel-powered generators to add power to the national grid. The 55 stand-by megawatt diesel-powered generators, supplied by Aggreko, are expected to operate six hours per day, reducing the hours of blackouts …
The rain that started midday on Sunday was accompanied by heavy wind and ended up damaging at least five houses. According to eyewitness Msangu Nyirenda, the five families also lost property and are in need of help. Karonga Floods “It was raining heavily and all of a sudden we heard …
Although the Malawian food supply is shaped largely by trends in smallholder food crop production, Malawi’s decades-long focus on improving smallholder productivity has only moderately improved food security and nutrition outcomes. Country statistics indicate an estimated 36.7 percent of rural Malawian households failed to access sufficient calories between 2010 and …
Following poor harvests in the 2015/16 cropping season in Malawi, vulnerability assessments found that nearly 6.7 million people, primarily in the Southern and Central regions, were likely to suffer from food insecurity before the next harvest. The government of Malawi and its development partners designed the 2016/17 Food Insecurity Response …
