Timor-Leste - Food Security Bulletin Edition no. 21: January - March 2021

Highlights

• Rice production estimates marred by the devasting floods; and continues to account for only 30 percent of the national requirement

• Rice imports nearly double in the first quarter of 2021 compared to the previous quarter.

• Rice prices remain elevated, however, likely to slow down in the second quarter of 2021 as harvest season sets in.

• Policy-wise, market intervention initiatives by National Logistics Centre (NLC) and Government plans to procure rice for strategic reserves likely to cushion the impact of floods and COVID-19 on food security situation.