Malawi: After years of drought, set for food sufficiency

It's official: for the first time in five years, drought-stricken Malawi will have a bumper maize harvest, according to a final crop estimate by the ministry of agriculture. Good rain and a successful government-sponsored fertiliser and seed distribution programme boosted farmers' yields, said Patrick Kabambe, secretary for agriculture and food security. The country is forecast to produce about 2.35 million mt of maize, just over the annual requirement of 2 million mt.