Malawi

David Lamb’s article (Opinion, Nov. 9) was one of the best articles that I have seen regarding the current status of Africa.

However, there was one inaccuracy regarding food production in Africa. The statement “. . . today every country except South Africa is a food importer” is not quite accurate.

Malawi since its independence in 1964 has been the only country in black Africa that has been totally self-sufficient in food production, and in fact was a net exporter of some 50,000 tons of food in September of this year to neighboring countries.

Malawi has been looked upon as a model of agricultural efficiency in an otherwise impoverished continent. With no petroleum, little mineral wealth, and no natural gas, this landlocked nation of 7.5 million people is fiercely proud of this self-sufficiency of food.

JAMES F. CLEMENTS

Pacific Palisades

Clements is honorary consul for Malawi.