Reference Date: 19-April-2013
|
FOOD SECURITY SNAPSHOT
-
Prospects for the 2012/13 early season crops generally favourable
-
Relatively good 2012 main season harvest gathered last October-November
-
Despite good production cereal import requirements for 2012/13 (November/ October) remain at fairly high level of 507 000 tonnes
-
About 2.8 million vulnerable people estimated as facing facing severe food insecurity situated mainly in the northeast provinces of the country
|
Prospects for the 2012/13 early season crops generally favourable
Harvesting of the 2012/13 early (winter and spring) crops, including wheat, barley and potatoes, will start in June. The weather conditions during the growing season have been generally favourable so far. Seedbed preparation for the 2013 main season crops, mainly rice and maize, is underway with the bulk of transplanting activities expected to begin shortly.
Relatively good 2012 main season harvest gathered last October-November
The 2012 main season crops were harvested in October-November. The joint FAO/WFP Crop and Food Security Assessment Mission (CFSAM) estimated the staple food production in 2012/13 to increase by about 10 percent over the above-normal production in 2011/12. The impact of the prolonged dry spell in the first half of the season was largely mitigated by increased irrigation efforts including mass mobilization of people to water maize plants. Similar to 2011, localized flooding in July-August caused some damage to paddy crop in the main grain producing provinces. However, timely availability of key inputs and an increase in the official procurement prices resulted in an overall increase in the main season crop harvest. Soybean production, on the other hand, decreased this year by over 30 percent, primarily due to the dry spell.
In order to improve food security in the short to medium term, the Mission also recommended national and international support for: (i) increased production of protein commodities, namely soybean cultivation and fish pond development, (ii) revitalization of the double-cropping programme by providing inputs (e.g. seeds and fertilizer for the early crops wheat, barley and potatoes), improved mechanization and sufficient incentives to cooperative farms, and (iii) general assistance for household garden production. In the medium to longer term, adoption of incentive system through relevant changes in agricultural marketing would help elevate production and improve the country’s food security.
Despite good production cereal import requirements for 2012/13 (November/October) remain at fairly high level of 507 000 tonnes
Based on the Mission’s estimate of total utilization needs of 5.43 million tonnes of cereal equivalent (rice in milled terms), the Mission estimated cereal import requirement of 507 000 tonnes for the 2012/13 marketing year (November/October). Assuming the official target of 300 000 tonnes of food imports, an uncovered food deficit of 207 000 tonnes for the 2012/13 marketing year is expected. According to the latest available information, as of mid-April, total commercial imports into the country are estimated only at 12 400 tonnes, primarily rice from China and maize from Argentina. In addition, only 6 800 tonnes of food aid, in total, has been received in this marketing year. More imports, commercial and food aid, would be required during the next four months of lean season to help maintain the PDS rations.
Some 2.8 million vulnerable people are estimated to face severe food insecurity in the northeast provinces of the country
The Mission found that the acute malnutrition rates have improved this year due to better food rations and a consistent food assistance pipeline but the chronic under-nutrition remains a public health problem. The Mission therefore recommended that international support be focused on expanding and developing nutrition programmes specifically targeted to about 2.8 million vulnerable people (children, pregnant and lactating women, elderly and disabled or chronic ill) in five provinces in the North-East of the country.
According to the latest official data the public food distribution system (PDS) average rations distributed were around 400 grams per person per day, close to the previous year’s level and well above the previous five-year average (see Figure 1 from WFP).