Reference Date: 04-June-2026

Harvesting of 2026 winter wheat and planting of sorghum crops nearing completion

Agricultural activities for the 2026 season are progressing under generally favourable weather conditions, although weather conditions have been mixed with intensified rainfall that triggered flash floods across southwestern parts of the country, with considerable impacts on communities and farmlands. Harvesting of the 2026 winter wheat finalized in April in the eastern Plateau and is still underway in the northern and central highlands, where above‑average rainfall amounts in March supported crop development and vegetation conditions, pointing to near-average production prospects. Planting of the 2026 main rainfed sorghum crop has been completed in most highland areas, including the northern, central highlands and southern uplands, while sowing activities are still ongoing in some coastal areas. Although favourable seasonal rainfall between March and April 2026 generally supported crop establishment and early development, below‑average precipitation amounts are forecast in parts of the southern uplands and northern areas, which may constrain crop development in the affected areas. Furthermore, farmers continue to face constraints in accessing agricultural inputs, particularly fertilizers and fuel, due to high prices, amid the conflict in the Middle East that started in late February 2026.

Below‑average cereal production estimated in 2025

Cereal production in 2025 is estimated at a below‑average level of about 400 000 tonnes, due to prolonged dry weather conditions and high temperatures, which limited planted areas and reduced yields in rainfed areas. In addition, ongoing localized conflicts, high input costs and supply chain disruptions further undermined agricultural production.

Cereal import requirements forecast at near‑average level in 2026

Cereal import requirements in the 2026 marketing year (January/December) are preliminarily forecast at a near‑average level of 5.2 million tonnes. The country remains highly dependent on imports to meet its domestic consumption needs, as limited local production and protracted conflict continue to constrain local supply. According to the latest Yemen Food Security Update , food imports through the Red Sea remained at adequate levels as of March 2026, with cumulative import volumes during the first quarter of 2026 at about 28 percent above the same period in 2025. This increase was largely supported by commercial wheat imports, the main staple commodity used for bread production. However, the recent escalation of regional conflicts has increased shipping and cereal costs, amid foreign exchange shortages. In March 2026, no fuel was imported through the Red Sea ports and fuel imports through the Southern route fell by about 60 percent below average. Fuel prices rose 11 to 16 percent in April, followed by a further 24 percent hike, raising domestic transport and input costs, and constraining food access.

Acute food insecurity persists in 2026 despite stabilized food prices and macroeconomic situation

Retail prices of wheat flour increased sharply in most markets of the Government of Yemen (GoY) controlled areas between late 2024 and July 2025, underpinned by the sustained depreciation of the Yemeni rial and high import and transport costs. Tighter Central Bank oversight stabilized the Yemeni rial at an average of YER 1 553/USD 1 in April 2026, representing a 55 percent year‑on‑year appreciation. This exchange rate stability kept staple food prices unchanged month‑on‑month and 22 to 30 percent lower than in April 2025. In Hadramout Governorate, wheat flour prices reached a record high of about YER 1 300/kg in July 2025 before declining sharply in August, mainly reflecting the appreciation of the Aden‑based Yemeni rial, which strengthened from an average of YER 2 800/USD 1 in July to about YER 1 660/USD 1 in early August following exchange rate stabilization measures in the government‑controlled areas.

However, deteriorating economic conditions continue to drive acute food insecurity across the country. In the GoY, staple food prices increased month‑on‑month in March 2026 due to higher insurance and transport costs linked to the conflict in the Middle East, fuel price increases and foreign currency shortages. In Sana'a Based Authorities‑controlled areas, additional taxation in early 2026 further raised prices of staple foods, reducing households’ purchasing power. Ongoing localized conflicts, supply disruptions and currency depreciation continue to constrain food access and disrupt markets and livelihoods.

According to the 2026 Humanitarian Needs and Response Plan (HNRP) , about 18.3 million people nationwide were projected to face high levels of acute food insecurity (IPC Phase 3 [Crisis] or above) between September 2025 and February 2026, including 5.5 million people in IPC Phase 4 (Emergency).The latest IPC analysis indicates that, in the GoY, nearly 5 million people faced acute food insecurity between March and May 2026, including 1.4 million in IPC Phase 4 (Emergency). Between June and September 2026, the number of acutely food insecure people is projected to increase to 5.4 million (51 percent of the analysed population), including 1.6 million people in IPC Phase 4 (Emergency).

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/ .