Reference Date: 8-February-2013
|
FOOD SECURITY SNAPSHOT
-
Above average aggregate cereal crop gathered in 2012
-
Food inflation remains high
-
Food insecurity persists in certain districts
|
Above average aggregate cereal crop gathered in 2012
Harvesting of the 2012 main season crops, mainly rice and maize, was completed by December. The 2012 maize crop is estimated at 69 400 tonnes, slightly below previous year’s above-average output The stagnation is mainly the result of prolonged dry weather conditions from mid March to early June, which negatively impacted early development of the crop. The 2012 paddy production is expected to be similar to the previous year’s harvest at around 75 000 tonnes. The aggregate 2012 cereal production is thus estimated at 164 400 tonnes, including rice in paddy terms, similar to the year before. Rice is the main staple food in the country, with per capita consumption currently estimated at about 175 kg/year.
In response to rising population and lower production levels in 2012, the cereal import requirement for the 2012/13 marketing year (July/June) are forecast at 75 000 tonnes, about 15 percent higher than the previous year. Imports consist mainly of rice and wheat, forecast in the current marketing year at 63 000 and 6 900 tonnes, respectively.
Food inflation remains high
According to the Bhutan National Statistics Bureau (NSB) the annual consumer price index increased by 11.2 percent in the 3rd quarter of 2012 over the same period a year earlier. The increase is mainly attributed to high food prices as well as weakening of Ngultrum (which is pegged to the Indian Rupee) against US Dollar. The food price inflation has been measured at 13.9 percent as opposed to the non-food price inflation of 9.7 percent.
Food insecurity persists in certain districts
Food insecurity persists in certain districts, mainly due to reduced cereal production and high food prices. The eastern and southern regions of Bhutan are the most vulnerable to food insecurity. According to the latest UNICEF report, the under-5 mortality rate decreased from 138 per 1 000 in 1990 to 54 in 2011.
Recent UNHCR information indicates that, as of December 2012, more than 41 000 Bhutanese citizens of Nepali origin are still living in two refugee camps in south-eastern Nepal. More than 75 000 refugees have been resettled in third countries, following the major resettlement programme launched in November 2007.