Niger Food Security Outlook, January
NIGER Food Security Outlook January - September 2008 • The food situation is deteriorating in northern Figure 1. Current food security assessment, January departments affected by armed conflict. Food security through March 2008 conditions are poor across Ouallam, Téra, Dakoro, Keita, Tahoua, Abalak, Mayahi, Tanout, Gouré, Dogon Doutchi, Loga, Nguigmi and Mainé Soroa departments due to dwindling reserves and an erosion in purchasing power. According to the findings by the joint survey of vulnerability to food insecurity conducted in November‐ December of 2007, 1,441,967 persons are classified as severely food‐insecure (12 percent of the country’s population), up from a figure of 1,100,000 for the same period of 2006. The food situation in Tillabery, Say, Filingué and Konni departments is improving and the state of nutrition is stable in the southern part of the country (Figure 1). • In the most likely scenario for the period from April Source: FEWS NET Niger through June of this year, off‐season crop availability will decline and households will begin to deplete their grain reserves, particularly in Doutchi, Loga, Ouallam and Téra departments and in large portions of the agropastoral area of Tahoua, Maradi, Zinder and Diffa departments. Crops will be available on local markets, but there will be a small seasonal upswing in prices. The food situation in the third quarter of the year, from July through September, should be normal for that time of year, with an average start‐of‐ season for 2008/09 crops in June and farmers and traders unloading their inventories and selling their grain crops.
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