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Post Info TOPIC: Food Shortage in Southern Africa: Implications for Malawi
awmygawd


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Food Shortage in Southern Africa: Implications for Malawi
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How do you think the issues addressed in article reproduced below could affect Malawi? I have for the most part been indifferent to the recent decision by government to allow maize exports; however, I’m beginning to have concerns over the potential effect of the regional food shortage on Malawi’s economy, specifically the cost of maize in the country. There might be other issues to think about e.g. a greater need for MW to increase its grain reserves. What is your opinion, members?

article from http://www.upi.com/InternationalIntelligence/view.php?StoryID=20070308-050917-5546r

U.N.: Weather threatens Africa's food

JOHANNESBURG, South Africa, March 8 (UPI) -- Droughts and floods in southern Africa have devastated crops and could lead to widespread food shortages, says the U.N. World Food Program.

"For some parts of the region, it's simply too late to hope that a late burst of rainfall will change people's food supply outlook for the year ahead," said WFP Regional Director Amir Abdulla Thursday in Johannesburg, South Africa.

Before the onset of the erratic weather, the U.N. food agency was already facing a budget shortfall of about $97 million for 2007 and was supplying food to 4.3 million people in the region, said a statement from the WFP.

Parts of Angola, Madagascar, Mozambique, Namibia and Zambia have been struck by floods, while Lesotho, Namibia, southern Mozambique, much of Swaziland and Zimbabwe have been suffering through a dry spell. Lesotho is expecting up to a 60 percent decline in agricultural output over last year's harvest, the WFP said.

Also South Africa, usually the largest producer of maize in the region, is facing poor harvest prospects due to recent weeks of extreme heat and drought in some parts of the country, the food agency said.

"Assessments need to be carried out as soon as possible to determine the impact agricultural losses may have on these groups, but already the early indications for several countries are alarming," said Abdulla.

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Adilo


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I would suggest that Malawi should exploit this opportunity to the fullest (though we sympathise with our neighbours' misfortune). If we are having excess maize as forecasted, we have to make sure that we have secured enough for our needs and sell the excess to the highest bidders. We need the Forex to import the many things we can not produce locally.

I can already hear the pessimists asking, "what if we have a drought next year?" Yes that is a possibility, but we have dealt with droughts before and we can deal with another one.  I may also ask "what if we have another bumber harvest next year?" Remember, even last year some people hoarded maize hoping that they will this year at a higher price. Now they don't know what to do with it. I will say to the sell the maize abroad and invest the money in something else.

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bingiza


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Fo starters we never dealt with hunger, hunger dealt with us and reduced us to beggars, only a hunch of selfish bussines men will benefit from selling the maize abroad lets sock our garanaries and sell the extras not the other way round.

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Pope


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my suggestion is to hold all the maize with Admarc and let traders sell what they have.Bingiza as you travelled how did you look at the crop in the field.

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bingiza


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South and centre is ok but the north is bad, the crop is not ready yet and the subsidy was late we might have problems there so lets not sell the maize to comrade Chimlenga in zim until brothers and sisters up there are ok.

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mulomwe


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And if we happen to sell IT MUST GO AT A HIGH PRICE osati zobelana. Farming is hard word, Alimi adyeko nyama tsopano.

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bingiza


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True, after all its our tax paying for the subsidy.

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awmygawd


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bingiza wrote:

True, after all its our tax paying for the subsidy.

 



Quite right. I didn't think of it that way.

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Tango


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mulomwe wrote:


And if we happen to sell IT MUST GO AT A HIGH PRICE osati zobelana. Farming is hard word, Alimi adyeko nyama tsopano.

 


...mmmh. Koma alimife tikunyozedwa. Timaweta ziweto zosiyanasiyana koma mpaka tidyeko nyama?

-- Edited by Tango at 17:24, 2007-03-12

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mizu yapasi


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Musaiwale njala imatipha ija,sungani musagulitse

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