Malawi: Maize harvest to fall sharply

MALAWI would see a “substantial decrease” in the maize harvest of its staple maize crop this year due to a combination of floods and drought, Agriculture Minister Allan Chiyembekeza said yesterday. Malawi, which had a bumper crop of 3.9 million tons last year and a surplus of over a million tons, has experienced torrential rains, forcing its government to declare half of the country a disaster zone. Crops were damaged in the floods. If Malawi recorded a deficit and needed to import, it could turn to Zambia, which expects a record harvest with plans to export 800 000 tons of white maize. – Reuters