MoARD, DRMFSS- Early Warning and Response Directorare Early Warning and Response Bulletin, May 2010 Contents Early Warning and Response Summary for March 2010 ......... 2 Weather Conditions ............................................................. 2 The Early Warning and Response Bulletin Agricultural Conditions ......................................................... 3 is prepared by the Early Warning and Response Directorate to coordinate and Livestock Conditions ............................................................ 4 disseminate early warning and food Markets ............................................................................... 4 security information. Nutrition Situation & Response ............................................ 7 For any comments, questions or Emergency Response ........................................................... 8 suggestions and/or to receive the bulletin on your email please write to [email protected] If you are planning to contribute to the response effort, please inform DRMFSS by writing to [email protected] 2 Early Warning and Response Bulletin, May 2010 Early Warning and Response Summary for May 2010 The performance of May 2010 rain was favorable for long cycle crop planting (maize & sorghum), land preparation for meher planting, and belg crop development. Exceptions were some areas in Tigray and Gambella Regions, which had inadequate rainfall during the month; Infestations of army worms on growing sorghum, maize and pasture land were reported in many parts of the country; Shortage of water and pasture were reported during the month in South and North Gondar zones and some woredas of Benshangul Gumuz; Negative food inflation of -4.9% has been recorded for April 2010 by CSA. In April, average prices of sorghum and maize in Tigray, Oromia and SNNP have been lower than in March; In Oromia region, Kersa (East Haraghe Zone) esperienced both low supply of maize and high month-to-month inflation in the price of maize; Average shoat-to-maize ToTs in April have been improving over their March values in Oromia, SNNP and Tigray; Based on the May 2010 data, there were a total of 17,882 severely malnourished children admitted in 5,007 TFP sites in the four regions (SNNP, Tigray, Oromia and Amhara). Admissions have been increasing in Oromia compared to April; The number of priority 1 woredas with neither TFP nor TSF increased from 15 to 17 (out of 196) by the end of April; Nutrition interventions are planned in 4 priority 1 weredas (Meiso, Tullo, Goba Koricha and Mesela) of East Harerghe zone in Oromia region; Funding gaps remain for the food sector (12.870 million USD), the education sector (3.541 million USD), the health and nutrition sector (16.089 million USD) and the WASH sector (1.857 million USD). Pledges in the agriculture sector have exceeded estimated net requirements. Weather Conditions dekad of the month. North Shoa, South West Shoa, East Shoa, and West Arsi received rain in According to Regional reports, the performance the second dekad of the month. Horo Gudru of May 2010 rainfall was mixed. Wellega, East Wellega, West Wellega, Borena, Jimma, Illubabor, West Shoa, Arsi, Bale, West In SNNP, all zones and most Special weredas Hararghe, and East Hararghe zones reported to received medium to heavy rainfall in the month. have received rain in the third dekad of the Different areas in Oromia region also received month. medium to heavy rain in one of the dekades of North Wello, South Gondar, West and East the month. Kellem Wellega had rain in the first Gojjam zones of Amahara Region had rainfall Early Warning and Response Directorate, DRMFSS, MoARD 3 Early Warning and Response Bulletin, May 2010 throughout the month. The other zones received Similarly some areas in Gambella, Benshangul rains either in the second and/or first dekades of Gumuz and Harari Regions and Dire Dawa Council the month. The rains were light to medium, and received light to heavy rainfall (Harari) during the irregular in distribution. first half of the month. A number of weredas in different parts of Tigray Region experienced erratic, light to medium and occasionally heavy rains during the month. Most areas in Somali, and Asayita, Dubti, Alidar, Mille, Gewane and Awash Fentale weredas of Afar reported to have experienced irregular rainfall during the first half of the month. underway during the month. According to the regional report, a total of 3,637,892 hectares Agricultural Conditions were cultivated for meher planting until end of May 2010. Out of these, 962,746 hectares were As per the regional reports, the weather reported to have been planted with long cycle condition during the month was, in general, and other meher crops favorable for long cycle crop planting (maize & In Tigray Region, out of the total area planned sorghum), land preparation for meher planting, and belg crop development. Exceptions were for belg season planting (27,580 hectares), 13,908 hectares have been covered, according to some areas in Tigray and Gambella Regions, reports, with maize, sorghum, teff, barley and which had inadequate rainfall during the month. wheat crops. These crops were at different The belg crops including maize, teff, barley, growth stages (ripening, fruiting, maturing and sorghum, haricot bean, beans & potato were at harvesting) during the reporting period. In grain filling, and harvesting stages in most belg addition to this a total of 110,126 hectares were growing areas of SNNP during the month. covered with meher crops and these crops were Harvesting of teff, barley, beans and root crops reported to be at seedling and vegetative stages. were underway in most parts of the Region. Long In belg benefiting areas of Amhara Region such cycle crops such as maize and sorghum were at seedling and vegetative stages in many meher as North Shoa, Oromia, South Wello and North Wello zones, out of the total area planned for benefiting areas of the region. The rains during 2010 belg season ( 279,514 ha.), 220,857 the month reported to have hampered hectares were covered with belg crops. Most of harvesting of belg crops such as teff and haricot bean in Guraghe, Sidama, and Gedio zones, and these crops were at flowering, fruiting and harvesting stages. Additionally, 476,611 hectares Burji, and Derashe special weredas. Similarly, the were covered with long cycle crops during the sporadically heavy rains in Keffa, Shekka, and Bench Maji zones, and Yem Special weredas also month. reported to have affected meher land Land preparation and planting of different meher preparation. crops were also underway in Gambella, Benishangul-Gumuz, Harari Regions, and Dire Belg crops in Oromia Region were reported to be at flowering and grain filling stages during the Dawa council during the reporting period. reporting period. Land preparation for meher According to reports received from Regions, crop planting and planting of meher crops were supply of improved seeds and fertilizers for Early Warning and Response Directorate, DRMFSS, MoARD 4 Early Warning and Response Bulletin, May 2010 meher season planting were underway in many weredas) and Harari Regions as well had similar parts of the country during the month problem in the month. In general, the infestation was widespread, and observed on different crops including sorghum Migratory Pests and maize, and grazing. The infestation in most There were no reports of desert locust and quela areas was put under control by using pesticides quela birds’ infestation in May 2010. Reports of and traditional control methods. army worm infestation were, however, received from different parts of the country as indicated below. Livestock Conditions Reports of army worm infestation were received from 3 weredas of Guraghe zone, Lanfro and Silti As per the reports received from Regions, except weredas of Silti, Damot, Pulasa and Damot Gale for some pockets where there was moisture weredas of Wellayita Keffa and Alaba zones, and stress, the pasture and water situation was in Burji special weredas of SNNP. general favorable in most parts of the country during the month. These include most pastoral Similarly in Oromia Region, army worm and agro-pastoral areas where shortage of water infestations were reported from Habru wereda of and pasture were reported in the previous West Hararghe, six weredas of East Hararghe, months. Exceptions were some areas in North Yaya Gulle and Kuyu weredas of North Shoa, Gondar & South Gonder zones of Amhara, and eight weredas of East Shoa, Arero and Dire Benshangul Gumuz Regions where shortage of weredas of Borena, Ababo Gudru and Abe water and/or pasture were reported during the Dengoro of Horo Gudru Wellega , West Wellega, month. Except for endemic diseases, there were five weredas of Illubabor, five weredas of Kellem no reports of livestock health problems at Wellega, Ziway Dugda wereda of Arsi, Liben and epidemic level during the month. Gordola weredas of Guji, Sodo Dachi wereda of South West Shoa, three weredas of Jimma, six weredas of West Shoa, three weredas of East Hararghe, and four weredas of West Arsi zones . Similar problem was also noted in Alamata and Markets Enda Mehoni weredas of Southern Zone of Tigray Region. a. Nominal Prices of Cereals, April 2010 In Amahara Region, 13 weredas from North Shoa, According to CSA, the 12 month moving average four weredas from Oromia, four weredas from inflation rate for Ethiopia stood at 2.9 percent in South Wello, three weredas from North Wello, April 2010. This is below the 3.9% value in March one wereda from