Agriculture in Malawi
Encyclopedia
The country of Malawi
is located in southern Africa, and dealt with famines for many years. Following a bad corn harvest in 2005, almost five million of Malawi's 13 million people needed emergency food aid during the Malawian food crisis.
than any other southern Africa country, and was exporting hundreds of thousands of tons of corn to Zimbabwe
. Occurrences of acute child hunger has fallen sharply.
In October, the United Nations Children’s Fund sent three tons of powdered milk, which is used to treat severely malnourished children, to Uganda instead of Malawi, the original destination. Juan Ortiz-Iruri, Unicef’s deputy representative in Malawi, said it was unneeded.
Most farmers attribute Malawi’s new success to new government subsidies for fertilizer. This marks a major departure from World Bank
receommendations. Over the past 20 years, the World Bank and several rich nations which give aid to Malawi have pressed for free market policies including to cut back or eliminate subsidies for fertilizer and other items.
The 2005 harvest was the worst in a decade, and Bingu wa Mutharika, Malawi’s newly elected president, decided to subsidize various agricultural items such as fertilizer
. Mutharika initiated reinstating and increasing fertilizer subsidies despite skepticism from the United States
and Britain
.
Malawi’s soil is depleted, like that of other local countries. Many of its farmers cannot afford fertilizer at current market prices. Mutharika stated, "As long as I’m president, I don’t want to be going to other capitals begging for food", Patrick Kabambe, the senior civil servant in the Agriculture Ministry, said the president told his advisers, "Our people are poor because they lack the resources to use the soil and the water we have."
The success of these subsidies is causing reexamination of the role of agriculture in helping poor in Africa, and of government investment in basic components of farming, such as fertilizer, improved seed, farmer education, credit and agricultural research.
Malawi
The Republic of Malawi is a landlocked country in southeast Africa that was formerly known as Nyasaland. It is bordered by Zambia to the northwest, Tanzania to the northeast, and Mozambique on the east, south and west. The country is separated from Tanzania and Mozambique by Lake Malawi. Its size...
is located in southern Africa, and dealt with famines for many years. Following a bad corn harvest in 2005, almost five million of Malawi's 13 million people needed emergency food aid during the Malawian food crisis.
2007
In 2007, Malawi began actually exporting food. As of 2007, it was selling more corn to the World Food Program of the United NationsUnited Nations
The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...
than any other southern Africa country, and was exporting hundreds of thousands of tons of corn to Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe is a landlocked country located in the southern part of the African continent, between the Zambezi and Limpopo rivers. It is bordered by South Africa to the south, Botswana to the southwest, Zambia and a tip of Namibia to the northwest and Mozambique to the east. Zimbabwe has three...
. Occurrences of acute child hunger has fallen sharply.
In October, the United Nations Children’s Fund sent three tons of powdered milk, which is used to treat severely malnourished children, to Uganda instead of Malawi, the original destination. Juan Ortiz-Iruri, Unicef’s deputy representative in Malawi, said it was unneeded.
Most farmers attribute Malawi’s new success to new government subsidies for fertilizer. This marks a major departure from World Bank
World Bank
The World Bank is an international financial institution that provides loans to developing countries for capital programmes.The World Bank's official goal is the reduction of poverty...
receommendations. Over the past 20 years, the World Bank and several rich nations which give aid to Malawi have pressed for free market policies including to cut back or eliminate subsidies for fertilizer and other items.
The 2005 harvest was the worst in a decade, and Bingu wa Mutharika, Malawi’s newly elected president, decided to subsidize various agricultural items such as fertilizer
Fertilizer
Fertilizer is any organic or inorganic material of natural or synthetic origin that is added to a soil to supply one or more plant nutrients essential to the growth of plants. A recent assessment found that about 40 to 60% of crop yields are attributable to commercial fertilizer use...
. Mutharika initiated reinstating and increasing fertilizer subsidies despite skepticism from the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and Britain
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
.
Malawi’s soil is depleted, like that of other local countries. Many of its farmers cannot afford fertilizer at current market prices. Mutharika stated, "As long as I’m president, I don’t want to be going to other capitals begging for food", Patrick Kabambe, the senior civil servant in the Agriculture Ministry, said the president told his advisers, "Our people are poor because they lack the resources to use the soil and the water we have."
The success of these subsidies is causing reexamination of the role of agriculture in helping poor in Africa, and of government investment in basic components of farming, such as fertilizer, improved seed, farmer education, credit and agricultural research.