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FOOD SECURITY SNAPSHOT
- Cereal production in 2024 estimated at above-average level
- Food inflation eased in January 2025
- About 920 000 people acutely food insecure in the last quarter of 2024
Cereal production in 2024 estimated at above-average level
Harvesting of the 2024 coarse grain crops (maize, millet and sorghum) concluded last November, while harvesting operations of the 2024 rice crop were completed in January 2025. The rainy season, which normally extends from May to October, was characterized by average to above-average cumulative rainfall amounts and a generally good spatial and temporal distribution of precipitation. The favourable weather conditions supported crop establishment and development in most cropping areas. However, in some localized areas, especially in the regions of Boke, Faranah and Nzerekoré, early season dryness affected planting operations and crop establishment. Furthermore, flooding between mid-July and November 2024, and some pest outbreaks led to localized minor crop losses in several parts of the country.
Enhanced government support for farmers, which included the provision of fertilizers at subsidized prices, along with the distribution of seeds and agricultural equipment, boosted yields across the country.
The 2024 aggregate cereal production is estimated at about 5.5 million tonnes, near the 2023 level and over 20 percent above the average of the previous five years.
In 2024, the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock organized a national consultative forum on the agropastoral sector, gathering key stakeholders, which led to the development of recommendations aimed at promoting the sector's growth and increasing local production by 2030. Furthermore, the government's Simandou 2040 vision presents a long-term economic development strategy, with agriculture serving as a key pillar in the initial phase of the plan.
Food inflation eased in January 2025
The annual food inflation rate in 2024 ranged between 7.7 and 9 percent. By January 2025, it was estimated at 7.1 percent, down from 8.4 percent in January 2024, mainly due to the decline in transport costs, which surged in January 2024 due to the explosion at the Kaloum oil depot on 18 December 2023, which destroyed the country’s main oil storage facility and caused fuel shortages.
About 920 000 people acutely food insecure in the last quarter of 2024
According to the November 2024 Cadre Harmonisé (CH) analysis, over 920 000 people (7 percent of the analyzed population) were estimated to face acute food insecurity (CH Phase 3 [Crisis]) between October and December 2024. This represents a substantial deterioration compared to the same period in 2023, when about 392 000 people (3 percent of the analyzed population) were estimated to be in need of humanitarian assistance. The increase in the total number of acutely food insecure people is mostly due to macroeconomic challenges and flooding in the second half of 2024.
The economic growth slowed to 4.1 percent in 2024, down from 5.7 percent in 2023, partly due to the lingering effects of the oil depot explosion in December 2023. The resulting disruptions in fuel and electricity supply constrained economic activities in 2024, increased transport costs and contributed to elevated inflation, reducing households’ purchasing power and access to food.
The food security situation is worrisome for about 176 000 people whose livelihoods have been severely disrupted by floods in 2024. The largest number of affected people is located in the regions of Kindia, Kankan and Nzérékoré.
According to early projections of the November 2024 CH analyses, nearly 1.26 million people (9 percent of the analyzed population) are expected to be acutely food insecure during the 2025 June to August lean season. Updated CH projections for this period, along with estimates for the March-May 2025 period, are expected to be released in April 2025.