Complete failure of the sorghum crop is
expected in 75% of Bay region in Somalia, World Vision's Food Security
Manager Lawrence Kiguro has warned.
Bay region is usually the bread basket
of Somalia, where 7% of the country's land produces 60 to 70% of the sorghum.
The failure of rains this season and a plague of crickets has decimated the sorghum crop in the region, a great shock to farmers after a bumper harvest last year - most of which was sold and trucked to Mogadishu.
A report from the UN Food Security Assessment Unit states that "this year's production of sorghum will be 90% less than last year in Bay Region".
As a result, the bakars (underground grain stores) are seriously depleted and some villages have already been abandoned for Lower Shabelli, Middle Juba and Mogadishu in search of food and water.
Failed rains pose a frequent challenge to farmers in Somalia and widespread malnutrition among children is the norm rather than the exception. The need for sustainable methods to improve food security in the long term is urgent, and World Vision is investigating increasing the yields of crops which survive in Bay region's tough conditions, such as ground nuts, cowpeas, and mung beans, says Lawrence Kiguro.
World Vision, in partnership with the UN's Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), is also currently providing women farmers in Bay region with vegetable seeds and tools so that they can create their own kitchen gardens.
Email newsvision@wvi.org for more information.