Malawi's state of emergency remains in place over a drought which has devastated much of southern Africa in recent months as local farmers are making cost-benefit trade-off to plant more drought-tolerant crops against the climate change.
With Malawi facing a major food crisis, a focus has been placed on preparing the agricultural industry to adapt to what's becoming the new normal here - a greater frequency and intensity of droughts.
The farmers are now cultivating cassava, sweet potatoes and ground nuts. According to them, the decision is now paying dividends.
"Cassava is profitable because it is food for my family and we also sell it. We sell it in October, November, December and January. In these months money is scarce and when I sell the cassava I get my capital to buy fertilizer for the maize farming," said Alimanto Masten Phiri, a cassava farmer.
Cassava is known for its relatively high tolerance for drought conditions which makes it a perfect crop not just for Malawi but other countries in Southern Africa, which have also been impacted by droughts.
People are also encouraged to use any space that is viable to grow crops such as cassava, sweet potato and millet, as these crops have deep roots that can access water stored deep in the soil.
The government of Malawi is still encouraging farmers to adapt to the change in weather patterns in order to maintain food security for the country.
"We are seeing from the Department of Climate Change that some areas are still receiving some good rainfall, I think those areas should consider planting other crops like cassava and sweet potatoes, considering these are crops that do not need a lot of rainfall," said Eliana Kaonga, an agribusiness trainer.
For now, these cassava and sweet potato farmers are reaping the rewards of their decision to switch strategy.
It's seen as an example of why farmers are being encouraged to innovate to overcome climate challenges.
Farmers in Malawi plant more drought-tolerant crops to resist climate change
