Reference Date: 04-June-2013
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FOOD SECURITY SNAPSHOT
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Aggregate cereal production in 2012 is estimated to have increased by 10 percent compared to 2011
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Access to food improved due to lower prices mainly following a significant recovery of the Guinean Franc
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The 2013 cropping season has started
Land preparation and planting of the 2013 rice and coarse grains crops are underway countrywide, following the start of the raining season in May.
Favourable weather conditions benefited crops in 2012
Harvesting of rice, the most important crop produced in the country, was completed last January. Crops benefited from favourable climatic conditions in most areas of the country. Aggregate 2012 cereal production is estimated to have increased by about 10 percent to 3.2 million tonnes compared to 2011.
Access to food has improved reflecting lower food prices and inflation
Access to food has improved in recent months, driven mostly by lower prices of imported commodities. Following a strong depreciation of the Guinea Franc, the price of rice - the staple food for Guineans- more than doubled between 2006 and 2007, fuelling inflation and seriously eroding the purchasing power and access to food of both urban and rural populations. Since then, rice prices have generally followed an upward trend through 2011. However, the Guinean Franc became relatively stable from early 2012 on, pushing inflation down from 21 percent in 2011 to 14 percent in 2012. Consumer price inflation is forecast to drop further to 11.5 percent in 2013 driven by a continuing recovery of the Guinean franc and more stable rice prices.
A substantial section of the population is exposed to chronic food insecurity
Large numbers of people are also exposed to chronic food insecurity and malnutrition. According to the WFP’s latest detailed survey of food security and vulnerability, about 600 000 people located mostly in Kindia, Labe and N’Zerekore regions suffer from severe food insecurity, while an additional 1.7 million are considered at risk.