In response to a severe drought affecting Southern Africa, Malawi has declared a state of emergency, prompting local farmers to adjust their agricultural practices. These adjustments include the cultivation of drought-tolerant crops such as cassava, sweet potatoes, and groundnuts, aiming to mitigate the impact of climate change.
This shift in farming strategy is a calculated response to the increasing frequency and intensity of drought conditions in the region, with farmers like Alimanto Masten Phiri finding economic and nutritional value in crops like cassava. "Cassava is profitable because it is food for my family, and we also sell it. We sell it in October, November, December and January. In these months money is scarce and when I sell the cassava I get my capital to buy fertilizer for the maize farming," Phiri explains.
The government and agricultural experts in Malawi continue to encourage the adaptation to these resilient crops to ensure food security amidst changing weather patterns. Eliana Kaonga, an agribusiness trainer, highlights the importance of selecting crops that require minimal rainfall, suggesting that regions receiving adequate rainfall should diversify with cassava and sweet potatoes. This adaptation strategy not only addresses immediate food security concerns but also serves as a model for managing agricultural practices in the face of climate variability.
Source: bastillepost.com