Attachments
FOOD SECURITY SNAPSHOT
- Cereal production in 2024 forecast at above-average level
- In September, prices of rice near year-earlier values
- About 922 000 people acutely food insecure during 2024 lean season
Cereal production in 2024 forecast at above‑average level
In southern and central bimodal rainfall areas, harvesting of the 2024 main season maize crop concluded in September 2024, while harvesting operations of the 2024 rice crop are underway and will be completed by the end of the year. Weather conditions were generally favourable between March and August, supporting yields. However, recurrent dry spells affected crop establishment and development in some regions, resulting in localized production shortfalls. Harvesting of the 2024 second season maize crop is about to start and is expected to finalize in early 2025. In most areas, precipitation deficits between August and mid‑September were followed by above‑average rainfall amounts until mid‑November, boosting vegetation conditions and lifting crop production prospects.
In northern unimodal rainfall areas, harvesting of the 2024 cereal crops is ongoing and will conclude in December. Despite average to above‑average cumulative rainfall amounts between April and September, an erratic temporal distribution of rains affected crop establishment and development in some areas, especially in parts of Savanes District, where reduced yields are expected.
The 2024 aggregate cereal production is forecast at 3.3 million tonnes, about 7 percent above the average of the previous five years.
In September, prices of rice near year‑earlier values
In Abidjan, retail prices of imported and local rice, the most consumed cereal in the country, increased seasonally by 5 and 10 percent, respectively, between June and September 2024. In September 2024, prices of both imported and local rice were near their year‑earlier levels.
About 922 000 people acutely food insecure during 2024 lean season
According to the March 2024 Cadre Harmonisé (CH) analysis, about 922 000 people (4 percent of the analyzed population) were estimated to face acute food insecurity (CH Phase 3 [Crisis]) during the June to August 2024 lean season period. This is below the 1.02 million people (5 percent of the analysed population) estimated to be in need of humanitarian assistance during the same period in 2023.
As of end‑October 2024, the country was hosting about 66 000 refugees and asylum seekers, mainly from Burkina Faso and Mali. Most of them are located in Bounkani and Tchologo regions, where sustained pressure on local livelihoods and food stocks has increased humanitarian needs.
New CH estimates of the number of people facing acute food insecurity in the last quarter of 2024 are expected to be released by the Permanent Interstate Committee for Drought Control in the Sahel (CILSS) in December 2024.