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Let them eat mice, grasshoppers - Mutharika

Abuja - Malawian President Peter Mutharika has reportedly told millions of starving Malawians to eat grasshoppers and mice as a means to cope with the current food shortages in the southern African country. 

According to Nyasa Times, Mutharika made the statement at a political rally on Saturday.

He, however, claimed that his administration was under pressure to find solutions to the issue of hunger that has gripped the country over the past months.

Mutharika urged citizens to be resourceful in their search for food and money, adding that they should not die from hunger when wild animals and insects were there for them to eat. 

A well known bishop, on the other hand, called on leaders to find alternative methods of dealing with hunger rather than providing running commentary on the problem.

Bishop Martin Mtumbuka said he did not understand how Malawi could be facing starvation when adequate water exists for irrigation purposes.

"Why are our friends in Zambia always having bumper maize harvest and not us? Why the leaders fail to implement irrigation farming?” Mtumbuka was quoted as saying.

The Malawian government has previously said that one million tons of maize imports would be needed to combat a food shortage caused by severe drought across the southern part of the continent.

In addition, Mutharika himself, has also previously claimed that his government had managed to raise just $63m to use in the purchase of maize, with $237m still being needed in order to feed the almost 8.4m citizens in danger of starvation.

While stating that Malawi's food production would decrease by 50% this year, Mutharika at the time assured citizens that no-one would die of hunger in the country. 

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