The Parade April 2013 | Page 70

Regional Hunger Africa into Warm Heart of Bores …as food shortages escalate in Malawi Joel Phiri - Blantyre M alawi, which once prided itself for having enough food reserves to feed its citizenry, with substantial surpluses exported to assist nations ravaged by droughts, is Page 70 reeling in dire need of help amid acute scarcity of food, especially the staple maize grain. For the first time in many years, the country’s ability to feed its people is at risk and sadly and unexpectedly, Malawi has lost its hard-earned status as an The Parade - Zimbabwe’s Most Read Lifestyle Magazine agricultural success story. What has gone wrong and what lessons are there to be drawn by other countries, particularly in the SADC block, and beyond? According to the World Food Programme, more than 1.63 million people (or 11 percent of the population) are facing April 2013