In Malawi, Cattle Keepers Walk Farther for Grass as Dry Weather Spreads

Livestock keepers in southern Malawi are travelling longer distances to find fodder, the grass that cattle eat, as dry weather tightens its hold on the region. Al Jazeera reported the trend from Mulanje district, where the search for feed has become a daily task.

Lawrence Abison, 25, collects grass for cattle along the Likhubula River. To reach the river area, he travelled 27 kilometres from Nsanjama. He and three companions gathered enough grass in two hours to feed 10 cattle for one day.

Around Chitakale, also in Mulanje, dozens of men were seen carrying bundles of grass, according to the same report. Macdonald Khandalawo, 54, has kept cattle in Nsanjama, in the area of Traditional Authority Juma, since 2014. He owns 10 cattle.

The Likhubula River flows from Mount Mulanje, a 3,002-metre massif in southern Malawi and the highest point in tropical southern Africa. Reeds that grow along the rivers in the district are also used locally to make mats.

Fodder gatherers told Al Jazeera that they had previously cycled to the rivers after October, but this year they had been making the trip for months already.

Malawi's Department of Climate Change and Meteorological Services has warned of below-normal rainfall and prolonged dry spells in parts of the country. Southern areas face a growing drought threat, the department said.

The weather pattern behind the concern is El Niño, a recurring pattern that affects rainfall across parts of southern Africa. FEWS NET expects delayed and below-average rainfall in Malawi, Mozambique and Zambia while El Niño conditions continue. A Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations report published in June said the emergence of El Niño conditions in 2026 was expected to increase the likelihood of weather anomalies.