Food security situation satisfactory – Agriculture report
The country’s household food security situation is satisfactory, following a good improvement in agricultural production recorded last season, according to the Agricultural Inputs and Food Security Situation Report released on Tuesday 19 December.
The report released by the Agriculture Ministry follows the completion of the Agricultural Inputs and Household Food Security Monitoring Assessment conducted between Oct.30 to Nov. 24, in the seven northern communal major crop producing regions in the country.
The main purpose of the exercise was to assess the overall agricultural inputs situation at household and regional levels and to find the extent to which farmers are prepared for the 2017/2018 cropping season in terms of land preparation.
The report said during the time of the assessment in the major communal crop producing regions, it was noted that majority of the households are still dependent on last season production for food access.
According to most interviewed households, their production is sufficient to sustain them till the next harvest in May 2018.
“As a sign of a good crop harvest, many crop farmers who were able to produce surplus production are reported to have sold their cereal grains (maize or millet) surplus to commercial millers and or Agricultural Marketing and Trade Agency for Strategic Food Reserve re-stocking purposes,” the report added.
However, the report noted that few pockets of food insecurity were still being reported, especially in areas that suffered the effects of poor rainfall, excessive rainfall and damages due to Fall Army worms.
Meanwhile the report said that many farmers during the assessment in the communal regions, were busy clearing their crop fields for cultivating, acquiring or preparing the basic inputs and implements and expressed their readiness for the new season.
