EU gives Malawi $12m for food security

  1. Posted on Monday 22 March 2010 - 09:30
    Chancy Namadzunda
    Image of Chancy Namadzunda
    Chancy Namadzunda, AfricaNews reporter in Lilongwe, Malawi
    The EU has released K1.8 billion (about $12m) to the Malawi government to improve food security. The support covers costs for improved maize and legume seed for 345, 000 smallholder farmers and it also supports forestry and irrigation activities which will benefit 34, 500 community members and 2, 100 households respectively.
    malawi map
    EU said this meant that it backs the seed component of the government of Malawi’s Farm Input Subsidy Programme.

    “The EU’s assistance enables. The raising and planting of 10.5 million tree seedlings, as well as the management of 2,250 hectares of forest area for the benefit of over 34, 500 community members.

    “In regard to irrigation, the disbursement enables the EU funded Income-Generating Public Works Programme (IGWP) to distribute 1,200 treadle pumps, develop 60 river diversion schemes and put 200 hectors of new land under sustainable irrigation,” reads part of the statement by the European Union.

    The EU’s support is aligned with the Malawi Growth and Development Strategy and the Government’s Agriculture Sector-Wide Approach, both of which identify food security as priority areas.

    As EU gives Malawi K1.8 billion, the country’s inflation rate has increased to 8.2 percent, an increase of 0.4 percent from the previous month.

    According to the statement released by the National Statistics Office (NSO) the urban and rural inflation rates are now at 9.7 percent and 7.4 percent respectively.

    “The food inflation is now at 6.8 percent compared to the previous months 6.7 percent. Core inflation which excludes food costs stands at 9.9 percent up by 0.8 percent points on the month before due mainly to recent upward price adjustments in gasoline and its derivatives,” reads the statement.

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