By: Lloyd M’bwana
The Malawi government through the Department of Disaster Management Affairs (Dodma) in the office of the Vice President has secured a US$30 million insurance policy from African Risk Capacity Program (ARCP) in a bid to cushion any impact El Niño will have towards farmers’ low yield end of 2015/2016 growing season.
The insurance comes as there is growing fears that the country will not have enough harvest this year due to El Niño which has negatively affected crops in most parts of the country due to dry spell.
This was disclosed during news conference on Friday, January 29 in the capital Lilongwe which Civil Society Network on Climate Change (CISONECC) organized in order to get firsthand information on how ready the authority and civil society organizations were ahead of El Niño which Oxfam and Department of Climate Change and Meteorological Services predicated end of last year.
Speaking to The Maravi Post, Dyce Nkhoma, Chief Relief and Rehabilitation Officer for Dodma revealed that the insurance claims depend on how severe El Niño will have towards crops at the end of the growing season which is in line with procedures outlines by ARCP. Nkhoma hinted that only affected farmers will benefit from ARCP insurance for them to buy food and other related activities including irrigation farming.
“As preparation for any impact El Niño will have to our crops, government has managed to buy a US$30 million insurance policy as a post cushion measure to farmers that might be affected by dry spell or floods. This is the first time the nation has ventured into this as ARCP was up to date accommodating us into an agreement.
“Let me, emphasize here that like any type of insurance one gets, claims depend on how severe El Nino will have on our crops such that only affected farmers will be the only ones benefiting from it at end of this growing season for them to buy food. Despite such arrangement, the department still appealing to farmers venturing into irrigation farmers where possible and also must diversify food intake not only relying on maize alone”, urges Nkhoma.
Reaction to the development, Heather Maseko, CISONECC‘s Assistant National Coordinator welcomed the move while cautioning government on the claims funds usage that must reach the intended beneficiaries whose live hoods will depend on it.
Maseko emphasized the need for the country to have long term plan on combating effects of climate change which continues affecting the nation year in year out saying intensive irrigation was the way to go.
“Securing such a policy is a very good development looking at how effects of climate change have had on us. But the challenge lies on distribution of such funds. We are hoping that the insurance proceeds will directly reach the real farmers as mostly such moneys are diverted to other dubious means.
“Therefore, it’s high time also Malawi could have long term plans in the area of cushioning effects of climate changes including intensive irrigation as the county is flooded with rivers and the lake which must be utilized unlike relying on rain fed agriculture”, appeals Maseko.
Jalamu Nkhokwe, The Director for the Department of Climate Change and Meteorological Services in the Ministry of Natural Resources, Energy and Mining urges also the general public of paying attention to weather focus reports which his office shares daily through various media outlets which give insight of what comes ahead.
Nkhokwe disclosed that this year’s El Niño is so severe whereby other areas will experience dry spell while others heavy rainfall saying it’s similar that of 1997, 1998, 1982, 1983, 1972 and 1973 which the country once experienced.
“El Niño occurs when temperature for Pacific Ocean rises between 25 degrees census and 26 degrees census. End of last year, the temperature rose above that margin and this is the reason the country we still experience dry spell and heavy rainfall in other areas. We are therefore urging the general public pay attention to weather focus reports the department produces daily in various media outlets for them to put adaptation measures”, explains Nkhokwe.
With 2,833,212 people displaced and the country reeling on a food deficit of 27.7 % as it was reported by Malawi Vulnerability Assessment Committee (MVAC), the country witnessed one of its worst disasters in history.
This led to low maize supply and resultant spiral of maize prices. Analysis of maize price trends during the last six years, 2015 inclusive, from the cities of Lilongwe, Zomba, Mzuzu and Blantyre through the CfSC’s basic needs basket data has revealed that the just ended year recorded the highest maize prices during the last six years.
