Attachments
Key Message
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Minimal (IPC Phase 1) outcomes are expected in most of Cameroon as the main season crop harvest has begun throughout the country's bimodal and unimodal southern zones. While the harvest is slightly below average, stocks of maize, beans, and Irish potato are sufficient to improve the availability and diversity of food at the household level.
Meanwhile, cultivation is still ongoing in the northern zone, where the harvest typically begins in October. In most northern areas, labor demand for weeding of maize, sorghum, groundnuts, and cotton is increasing household incomes.
However, due to the delayed arrival of rains in the Logone-etChari, Diamaré, Mayo Sava, and Mayo Danay divisions, many farmers must replant their fields. This will likely increase production costs and delay harvests to early November, lengthening the lean season. -
Stressed (IPC Phase 2) and Crisis (IPC Phase 3) outcomes are expected in the Northwest (NW) and Southwest (SW) regions during the harvest and post-harvest periods. Overall, conflictrelated restrictions on household access to farmlands, population displacements, and high input prices are limiting household food availability and access. Furthermore, the number of violent events increased during June and July in Mezam, Boyo, and Ngoketungia divisions (NW) and parts of Fako (SW), resulting in further population displacements and driving localized production deficits for a seventh consecutive year. The worst-affected areas include Menchum, parts of Mezam, Momo, Boyo, Ndian, and Lebialem divisions, where crop production has declined by more than 30 percent compared to pre-conflict years. However, the area under cultivation improved slightly compared to last year, with growing numbers of returnees.
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Crisis (IPC Phase 3) outcomes are expected in Mayo Tsanaga, Mayo Sava, and Logone-et-Chari divisions of the Far North region until the end of the lean season in September. According to key informants, poor households affected by the insurgency and inter-communal conflict continue to borrow or beg for food and/or money to buy food and reduce meal portions to cope with food consumption gaps. Atypically low household stocks, below-average household incomes, and increasing food prices are the main factors decreasing household food access. The arrival of the main harvest season between October and November will increase households' access to food and income, however, production is expected to be below average due to the impacts of the conflict.
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In the East and Adamawa regions, Stressed (IPC Phase 2) outcomes with some households in Crisis (IPC Phase 3) are expected throughout the harvest and post-harvest periods. Household availability and market supply of fresh groundnuts and maize are increasing, but the prices of local staples are still on the rise (especially dry maize and cassava) by 20 percent on average in Mbere (Adamawa), Kadey, and Lom et Djerem (East) divisions. These regions also host most refugees from the Central African Republic, driving higher demand for food. However, with increasing access to and utilization of freshly harvested diverse food and sales of surplus, many households will likely experience improvements in outcomes from Crisis (IPC Phase 3) to Stressed (IPC Phase 2).
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Due to overall near-average market supplies of fresh, locally harvested crops in the southern zone and a decline in demand as household food availability increases during the harvest, staple food prices are seasonally dropping in most markets across the southern zone. However, in hard-to-reach conflict hotspots, staple food prices either increased or failed to decline seasonally. For example, the prices of maize and beans increased atypically by 10 and 8 percent, respectively, in Wum of Menchum division (NW region) compared to last year. In the Far North, maize prices increased by 8 percent, sorghum prices by 13 percent, and groundnut prices by 25 percent on average compared to last June.
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The fuel subsidy removal in Nigeria initially brought supply reductions and increases in the price of highly demanded, informally imported gasoline and diesel in some border towns. Although transportation costs have slightly increased, the prices of food and non-food commodities have yet to be significantly affected in Cameroon. However, a rise in inflation in Nigeria is expected to increase the demand for basic food and non-food commodity exports from Cameroon, which are currently banned, and this will likely lead to illicit exports and drive up their prices when road conditions seasonally improve between November and December.
Recommended citation: FEWS NET. Cameroon Key Message Update, July 2023. Parts of NW/SW Cameroon to remain in Crisis during the harvest period, 2023.