Civil Society Agricultural Network (CISANET) has called for decisive leadership at all levels of the social spectrum; the private sector inclusive to find means of avoiding ‘probably the worst food crisis in decades’.
The organization’s sentiments came a few days after the Reserve Bank of Malawi announced a 0.27 per cent depreciation of the Kwacha which came against another depreciation in June when the Kwacha depreciated by 2.4 per cent against the US Dollar to trade at K1,058.82.
The announcement by the Reserve Bank of Malawi on the Malawi Kwacha’s continuous losing grip against other major trading currencies, came barely two days after the latest June 2023-March 2023 Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) Acute Food Insecurity Analysis pitied 4.4 million people as facing high acute food insecurity in the country.
A week prior to the release of the analyses, another report –Global Information on Early Warning Systems— by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) indicated that Malawi is among countries that will experience extreme heat weather conditions from November 2024 to March 2024.
In a statement signed by Board Chairperson Herbert Chagona, CISANET said the depreciation of the Kwacha against the US Dollar will negatively affect the country’s food production due to its overreliance on imported fertilizers.
“A case in point is the need for government to expedite the process of purchasing farm inputs to ensure farmers –both smallholder and commercial— do get access to the same on time. We also hope government, through The Treasury, has reserved enough forex to help cushion the changes.
“The above developments or revelations, already cast a dark shadow for Malawi’s food security. With the onset of the growing season, the weakened Kwacha and the current forex shortage continue to threaten the country’s other key three Fs on the country’s economic growth; namely food, fuel and fertilizer.
“The three, coupled with the country’s reported dwindling import cover in forex reserves, go hand-in-hand signaling the beginning of yet another cycle of hunger.
“For instance, scarcity of forex and intermittent fuel supplies may lead to government not affording to import fertilizers for its Affordable Inputs Programme (AIP) whose beneficiaries form almost half of those facing acute foot shortages in the latest IPC analysis. Also, commercial farmers and other households who are not part of AIP beneficiaries will not access the fertilizers in time; let alone access any at all.
“For records, Malawi requires 400 000 metric tons of fertilizers per growing season for its largely degraded soils.
“The same applies to accessing quality seed as this remains the foundation of our agro-economy. It is actually a must for every farming household; something we sadly tend not to prioritize on as a country. On the other hand, the seemingly ever-rising poverty levels are not helping matters,” reads part of the statement.
Among others, CISANET has called on government to strengthen market systems to facilitate the availability and affordability of food like maize, government should mobilize all necessary resources and establish a well-coordinated emergency response system to mitigate the impact of extreme heat on agriculture, livestock, and food production, put in place for proactive measures to increase agricultural diversity and promote climate-resilient farming practices in both rural and urban areas, strengthen social safety nets and nutrition support programs targeting vulnerable households, especially those living in extreme poverty and facing food insecurity and government should prioritize climate change adaptation and mitigation measures in its policies and plans including investing in climate-smart infrastructure, sustainable land management practices, and renewable energy sources to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
