Key messages

•Agricultural production was sharply reduced by a severe drought in 2012. Cereal grain production dropped by 51% compared to previous year’s, potatoes by 48%, vegetables by 36% and sunflower by 31%. Livestock production was marginally affected.

•Rural households have been hardly hit by the drought in particular small farmers and agricultural workers in the Southern and Central regions of the country.

•Food prices increased by 3% during the last quarter of 2012. They were on average 5% higher than in same period of 2011.

Summary: CHF 123,061 was allocated from the IFRC’s Disaster Relief Emergency Fund (DREF) on 23 February 2012 to support the National Society in delivering assistance to some 1,000 families and individuals (4,000 beneficiaries) affected by extreme winter conditions. Particularly hardly hit were rural communities whose households, already affected by poverty, had been suffering from the cold weather, due to the lack of basic necessities.

Key messages

• Agricultural production is expected to be good in 2012, much above the 2007–2011 average levels for all main products, except winter crops which have been severely affected by frosts. A tenderhas been launched to import 70 000 tonnes of wheat to cover food consumption.

• The prevalence of poverty declined from 26.3% in 2009 to 21.9% in 2010 and is expected to have further decreased in 2011. The reduction was larger in rural than in urban areas but the difference between rural and urban areas remains huge.

Like many other countries in Europe, Moldova has been affected by extreme winter conditions. Particularly hard hit are rural communities whose households, already affected by poverty, are suffering from the cold weather, the lack of basic necessities and social exclusion.

FOOD SECURITY SNAPSHOT

• Crop prospects for 2011 are favourable

• Imports of cereals decline to about 11 percent of food needs

• Food prices of staple products are increasing

Cereal prices significantly increased between August and December 2010, reflecting world price trends. In December 2010, the international FAO Food Price Index was slightly above the peak reached during the 2007-08 food price crisis.

Households and communities affected by floods last summer are slowly recovering with assistance from partners.

The final estimate for cereal production in 2010 is 2.46 mln tonnes, well above the preliminary figures. This is respectively 13% and 8% above the 2009 level and the 2005-09 average level.

Cereal imports for 2010 amounted to 14

Wheat and barley prices increased in August but remained below the peak of April 2010. Cereal prices remained stable in September. Bread price briefly increased by 10% on 25 September but went back to previous level after government's intervention.

In early July, Moldova had a severe flood which caused damages in several districts affecting livelihoods, crops and infrastructures.

Six percent of the population was estimated to be undernourished in 2005-07, according to the latest FAO figures which were released in September.

The prevalence of poverty in 2009 was

Programme purpose: The programmes supported by the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) in Moldova aim to mitigate the impact of disasters; to improve the health status of the population, especially that of vulnerable groups; to strengthen the capacity of the Moldova Red Cross to respond effectively to the needs of the most vulnerable people; and to promote respect for diversity and human dignity, and reduce intolerance, discrimination and social exclusion.

Programme summary: In 2009 the Moldova

This is an update of the August 04 posting.