District Agriculture Development Officer, Dennis Zingeni, said Wednesday during an interface meeting which Catholic Development Commission (CADECOM) convened to provide a platform for community and duty bearers.

Zingeni said Balaka has been facing climate change effects more especially dry spells and floods, leaving many households food insecure for several consecutive years.

"If farmers consider family planning and have manageable families, they will be able to feed and educate their children despite the challenges coming along with climate change," said Zingeni.

John Jekete of Sub Traditional Authority Matola in Balaka says climate change has affected him and most farmers greatly especially changes in rainfall pattern resulting into dry spells or flooding, leaving them food insecure.

"It is indeed time we consider adopting family planning methods; hence, the land is the same and we are producing less than what our large families can consume," said Jekete.

CADECOM National Programmes Coordinator, Aaron Ntaya, says they convened the meeting to allow the community have a chance to present their climate change challenges to duty bearers and see how they can help one another.

"We are implementing climate challenge program Malawi with support from Scottish government through SCIAF and Trocaire and we thought of bringing the two parties together to brainstorm how they can build resilience," said Ntaya.