President Mutharika Plans To Develop National Parks As Part of Animal Conservation

President Peter Mutharika plans to develop a big national park as a way of conserving wildlife and has vowed not to relent fight against poachers.

Mutharika was speaking at Kamuzu Palace Tuesday evening at a Press Conference following return from United States of America (USA) where he attended an International Conservation Caucus Foundation (ICCF) United States Congressional dinner in Washington, DC.

"I would like to start a viable park service with trained armed rangers to defend and match the poachers." He said 

"I would like to have a nice park, because parks are very important for people and their families, they can go there for picnics and so forth.  And am determined to do that as part of conservation" said President Mutharika who emphasised that Malawi needs a national park and that international institutions have shown interest to support Malawi in the project including on the restocking of endangered animal species.

On international support Mutharika has assured that the country has now secured an international support of getting resources for conservation activities. 

The Malawi leader, has among others hinted his government efforts in ensuring success in conservation. He said government is developing a Comprehensive National Conservation Policy and also piloting a community participatory programme where by, all communities living around game reserves get share of fees that are collected so that communities have an interest in fight against poaching and takes part in preservation.

President Mutharika added that the community participatory programme has began in lower Shire's Majete game reserve with funding from the World Bank but it will be extended to the rest of the country.

The Malawi leader who said meant his words on conservation plans, has bemoaned with pace at which protected animals including elephants and rhinos are fast facing extinction a development which he described as a threat to future generation.

President Mutharika said Malawi airports have become a conduit for smuggling of ivory and that other powerful curtails are venturing into timber smuggling business but Malawi is not relenting but fighting them.

But has warned that whoever is involved in crime of poaching the law will take its course.

Professor Mutharika told journalists that his invitation to ICCF was part of appreciation to the efforts Malawi is making in combating crime of poaching and environmental conservation.

Mutharika has also announced several positive promises from potential business investors to come and invest in Malawi and that he has successfully marketed some of the Malawi's potential areas for investments.

Nobody Is Going to Starve Says President Mutharika Amid Low Crop Estimates

President Professor Peter Mutharika says no one is going to die of hunger as panic of hunger looms among Malawians in the wake of reduced maize yields this year.

Second round agricultural production estimates show that maize production has decreased from 3,978,123 metric tons realized in 2013/2014 agricultural season to 2,898,123 metric tons in the current agricultural season, representing 27.7 percent decline in production. Other major food crops such as rice have seen a decrease of 13.6%, millet 11.9%, cassava 1.1% and sorghum to 9.3 %.

This decline is mainly attributed to floods and prolonged dry spell that the

country has experienced in the course of the season.

However, potatoes and sweet potatoes have increased by 5.9% and 4.4% respectively.

Speaking at Kaumuzu Palace on Tuesday evening at a press conference, after a two-week visit to the United States of America (USA) where he attended an International Conservation Caucus Foundation (ICCF) United States Congressional dinner in Washington, DC, Malawi leader made assurance that government is working tirelessly to ensure that there should be no hunger this year as a team has been set up working on how Malawi can pass through this difficult time.

"We know that there will be a deficit of about 1 million we are supposed to harvest up to 3.1 million and we expect about 2.1 million. But we are working. Now we have set up a committee chaired by Minister of Finance consisting of Minister of Agriculture and Trade and Industry to develop a response to this." Said president Mutharika

"We are also working with World Food Programme. Director General of World Food Programme has assured us that no person is going to die of hunger and I can assure that nobody in this country is going to die of hunger" said while acknowledge that Malawi is in a very difficult situation.

President Mutharika also said his visit to some northern region areas, observed that many people will not have any harvest as crops dried up due to lack of rainfall "There is no question that there will be a big deficit, but we are working on it there are people who have left yesterday going to other countries to look at issues of maize" added Mutharika who repeated assuring the nation that "nobody is going to starve"

Meanwhile, Ministry of Agriculture has put in place several mitigation measures to avert looming hunger including promotion of growing of cassava and sweet potato, distribution of agricultural inputs to farmers for irrigation farming and f Government in line with the Malawi Growth and Government intends to prioritize domestic procurement of maize grain a

Development Strategy which aspire to economically empower Malawian farmers by, among other things, providing a market for their grain.