Attachments
Stressed food security outcomes expected during pastoral and agricultural lean seasons
Key Messages
Due to rainfall deficits, 2013/14 cereal production was 20 percent below average, with the largest production shortfalls observed in the groundnut basin (Kaolack, Fatick, Diourbel, Kaffrine, and Bakel department), Louga, Saint-Louis, Matam, Casamance, and Kédougou.
Until recent financial assistance was provided to the sector by the government, unusually weak industrial demand had been depressing groundnut prices, causing producers to resort to selling atypically large quantities of cereal crops, such as sorghum, maize, and rice. As a result, household food stocks are depleting earlier than normal this year in April, compared to May/June in a normal year.
Due to below-average cereal production, cash crop sales, food stock levels, and livestock body conditions, household food access in the north, the groundnut basin, and Casamance will be worse than usual through the end of the lean season in August. This will result in Stressed (IPC Phase 2) food security outcomes in affected areas between April and September.