LILONGWE-(MaraviPost)-Malawi is being urged to redesign its agricultural input programmes according to regional climate and farming conditions as the country prepares for the possible effects of an El Niño weather pattern during the 2026/27 growing season.
The recommendations are contained in a recent research brief produced by agricultural and food-security institutions in Malawi, Zambia and Zimbabwe, together with Clim-Eat, according to local media reports.
The report warns that a uniform approach to farm inputs may not deliver the same results across Malawi’s different agro-ecological zones.
The researchers say Malawi’s Northern and Southern regions should ideally receive different forms of agricultural support because rainfall patterns and production conditions are expected to vary significantly.
According to the assessment, northern Malawi could experience above-average rainfall, creating favourable conditions for crop production. In contrast, parts of the south could face below-average rainfall, raising concerns over crop yields and food security.
The report specifically notes that inorganic fertiliser could generate stronger results in the Northern Region, while the same strategy may be less effective in the drier Southern Region.
“Zambia and Malawi have opportunities for good crop production in their northern regions to partly offset the challenges in the rest of the country,” the brief states.
Beyond agricultural inputs, the researchers are calling for stronger early-warning systems to help communities respond to flash floods and other climate-related emergencies.
They also recommend expanding cash-for-work initiatives, strengthening strategic food reserves and providing unconditional cash transfers to vulnerable households as part of longer-term efforts to build resilience.
The government has already begun preparations for the anticipated climate risks. Principal Secretary for Irrigation and Water Development Faides Mwale recently said authorities were rehabilitating 200 non-functional boreholes and planning to construct 100 climate-resilient boreholes across the country.
Meanwhile, the Malawi Vulnerability Assessment Committee estimates that the number of food-insecure households could decline to about 2.6 million during the 2026/27 consumption period, equivalent to roughly 14 percent of the country’s population.
The latest recommendations highlight the need for Malawi to move away from a one-size-fits-all approach to agricultural support and instead align interventions with local weather patterns, farming conditions and the specific vulnerabilities of communities.
