The Unyielding Struggle of a Malawian Rural Farmer
The Unyielding Struggle of a Malawian Rural Farmer
As the rains continue pouring down on the warm heart of Africa’s parched soils, farmers are happy, yet anxiously awaiting. They can only hope for a better harvest as the late arrival of rains has already taken its toll.
“I planted my 2 acre field with high-quality seeds following the first planting rains in November. But the scorching heat of the drought only left a few stalks of maize standing,” laments Medson Kalenga.
Undeterred, Medson replanted his field, but this time, with low-quality seeds as he could not afford high-quality seeds again. This is a story all too familiar to many Malawian farmers in this year’s farming season.
Maize is Malawi’s staple food, hence being the most widely grown crop. However, the current “maize situation” is dire in Malawi, making it unaffordable for many.
The Current Maize Crisis
Currently, maize is being sold at a minimum of 1800 Kwacha per Kilogram on the local markets and a typical rural Malawi household needs at least 3 Kilograms of maize flour per day. With the high prices, many are forced to go without, which has severe implications. (1800 Malawian Kwacha = $1.04 USD, or about the average daily income for a Malawian household. At that rate, a family is forced to spend three times their daily income just to feed themselves.)
Ironically, farmers are not isolated from this struggle – they are equally struggling to access food despite their long days of toiling to produce it. During the farming season, the situation is even worse. Having sold their previous harvest to buy farming inputs, farmers are left with empty granaries, forcing them to struggle to access the very same thing they worked tirelessly to produce.
This is devastating during such a time as now when they need sufficient energy to tend to their fields and bring in a new harvest. In this situation, many end up getting money from vendors on a deal that they will pay back with maize harvest, which practically translates into selling their produce at a very low price due to desperation, hence perpetuating the cycle of poverty. The sad part is that they make a deal on a harvest they are never assured of.
The struggles of a rural Malawian farmer are a reminder of the country’s vulnerability to climate change and economic instability, which require collective efforts to deal with. By joint efforts, we can help Malawian farmers overcome the constant challenges they face and ensure a food-secure Malawi.
To understand the importance of maize in a Malawian household, read our blog on this topic.
