Reference Date: 08-September-2025

Dry weather conditions and conflicts continue to constrain agricultural production in 2025

In northern areas, planting of the 2025 millet and sorghum crops concluded in July and harvesting is expected to begin in October. Latest weather forecasts point to dry weather conditions until end-September, which are expected to negatively affect yields. In central and southern areas, harvesting of the 2025 early‑planted maize crop started in mid‑August and, according to satellite‑based images, crop conditions were below average levels as of mid‑June (ASI map). In addition, conflicts and displacements are expected to continue in 2025, affecting agricultural activities and limiting farmers’ access to crop‑growing areas and inputs.

Prices of imported and locally‑produced staple foods increased during second half of 2025

Between February and May 2025, prices of most locally ‑ produced staple foods, including maize and cassava, increased by 70 percent and were 25 percent above year‑on‑year levels in May 2025. Prices of imported food commodities, including rice, increased between January and May 2025 by 15 percent and were almost 20 percent above the previous year’s level, mainly due to reduced imports through river corridors from the Democtatic Republic of Congo and the Republic of the Congo.

Over 2.2 million people estimated to be severely food insecure in 2025

According to the latest Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) analysis, published in July 2025, about 2.2 million people (almost 34 percent of the analysed population) were estimated to face high levels of acute food insecurity (IPC Phase 3 [Crisis] or above) between April and August 2025, including 481 000 people classified in IPC Phase 4 (Emergency), driven by conflict and insecurity, and poor agricultural production. In the projection period, between September 2025 and March 2026, the food security situation is expected to improve and about 1.83 million people (28 percent of the analysed population) are projected face IPC Phase 3 (Crisis) or above, including 287 000 people classified in IPC Phase 4 (Emergency). Over 443 000 people are currently displaced in southeast, northeast and northwest, due to armed violence and civil unrest, impacting food security by limiting access to livelihoods, markets and food, while increasing vulnerability in both displaced and host communities.

Disclaimer: The designations employed and the presentation of material in this information product do not imply the expression of any opinion whatsoever on the part of FAO concerning the legal status of any country, territory, city or area or of its authorities, or concerning the delimitation of its frontiers or boundaries.

This brief was prepared using the following data/tools:

FAO/GIEWS Country Cereal Balance Sheet (CCBS) https://www.fao.org/giews/data-tools/en/ .

FAO/GIEWS Food Price Monitoring and Analysis (FPMA) Tool https://fpma.fao.org/ .

FAO/GIEWS Earth Observation for Crop Monitoring https://www.fao.org/giews/earthobservation/ .

Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) https://www.ipcinfo.org/ .