An agriculture expert says Malawi’s continued food insecurity, despite good rainfall in many parts of the country, is being driven by poor farming practices and failure by farmers to adopt modern agricultural methods.
Speaking in an interview with Nthanda Times, agriculture expert Felix Jumbe says favorable rains only guarantee food security if farmers change how they approach agriculture and move away from traditional, low-productivity methods.
According to Jumbe, Malawi has abundant natural resources, including land and water, but most farmers are not farming in a professional sense, limiting the benefits of good rainfall.
“Good rains are a promise of good harvests, but not everybody is farming, and even those who are farming are doing it traditionally. That is why life still remains the same,” he said.
He said reliance on outdated practices has entrenched what he described as a culture of poverty, where farmers fail to maximize yields even in favorable seasons.
Jumbe said lasting food security depends on farmers adopting improved technologies, using appropriate seed varieties and changing attitudes toward farming.
“Rainfall is water, but the plant that has been planted also matters. Farmers have to adopt new technologies and new attitudes so they can maximize yields from what nature provides,” said Jumbe.
He added that improved planning, better land use and investment in modern farming techniques would help turn good rainfall into sustained food production and reduce hunger in rural communities.
Jumbe said unless such changes are made, Malawi will continue to experience food shortages even in seasons of adequate rainfall.