Abstract
M.Tech. (Biomedical Technology)
Malawi is located in the south eastern Africa. It is a landlocked country covering an area of 118,484 Square Kilometres (45,747Sq.Miles) of which 20.6% is water. It is bordered with Zambia to the north-west, Tanzania to the north and Mozambique surrounding it on the south, east and west (refer map of Malawi on page 2). Malawi is one of the sub-Sahara heavily populated countries, having a population of about 13 million people of which about 80% live in the rural areas relying on small scale farming.
The country is divided into three regions, south, centre and north and these regions are further divided into districts. The southern region has most districts and is the most heavily populated. Malawi’s economy heavily depends on agriculture. Cash crops such as tobacco, tea and sugar canes are grown by commercial farmers while smallholder farmers grow a variety of crops such as tobacco, coffee, beans, fava beans, cotton, rice, sorghum, soybeans, groundnuts, cassava, potatoes, wheat, millet, peas, bananas, citrus fruits, sugar canes, vegetables and maize which is the main staple food.
Malawi has a subtropical climate with the rainy season starting from mid October up to April and the dry season is from May to October. During the dry season it is hot and humid in most parts of the country especially along the lake and the lower Shire valley, while the rest of the country can be cold at night with temperatures between 5ºC and 14ºC. The southern region has the highest annual rainfall and is humid most part of the year. This is where many tea plantations are and the climate allows growth of almost all types of crops and fruits.
Most Malawians consume home grown unprocessed food commodities. There are only
commodities are imported, mainly from South Africa. Malawi is self reliant on maize but when drought strikes, Malawi is forced to import from neighbouring countries or from South Africa and other countries as was the case in 2004 and 2005