As nino worsens drought, malawi cattle farmers travel farther to find scarce grass

A longer search for fodder

In Mulanje, 25-year-old Lawrence Abison and three friends spent the morning cutting grass beside the Likhubula River. They bundled it, carried it uphill and returned to gather more.

After two hours, the group had collected enough to feed 10 cattle for one day. Abison said the grass was scarce even at the river, and that they would have to go farther.

The river flows from Mount Mulanje, a 3,002-metre massif and a major water source for nearby communities. Farmers rely on it for water as well as grass for their herds.

Dry conditions strain herds

Macdonald Khandalawo, 54, has kept cattle in Nsanjama, under Traditional Authority Juma, since 2014. He has 10 animals and sends workers, including Abison, to collect grass from rivers.

Khandalawo said scarce feed has reduced his cows’ milk production: they eat less, and the fodder reaches them later. He is unsure how long he can maintain the herd in these conditions.

River changes concern residents

Khandalawo also raised concerns about cultivation along riverbanks. In Supuni Village, under Traditional Authority Chikumbu, 57-year-old Batson Kweluza said trees have disappeared from many areas and the river has become shallow enough to cross without taking off shoes.

Kweluza has seen fodder gatherers come and go for years. The account also notes that the river offers farmers a place to exchange ideas about handling feed shortages.

Waiting for rain and recovery

In Nkando, 25-year-old Alefa Saulo is also facing difficulty. She pays two workers about MK50,000 each, or $29, to help on her farm, but they had been absent for two days because of illness.

Saulo is waiting for rain to help grass grow and her cattle regain weight. She said the animals’ hunger leaves her sad because she cannot provide them with food.