The USAID Famine Early Warning System Network (FEWSNET) (Réseau USAID du Système d’Alerte Précoce contre la Famine) 01 BP 1615 Ouagadougou 01, Burkina Faso, West Africa Tel/Fax: 226-31-46-74. Email: [email protected] STATE OF FOOD SECURITY IN BURKINA FASO FEWS NET UPDATE FOR AUGUST-SEPTEMBER, 2001 SEPTEMBER 27, 2001 SUMMARY Both food availability and access conditions improved significantly throughout the country from mid-August to September 20, thanks in part to the delivery of 5,000 MT of food aid from Libya and the availability of early-planted crops, such as maize, cowpeas, and groundnuts. Except for the Sahel Region, most households have been enjoying access to fresh produce from their fields. Consequently, food security conditions in most localities were significantly better than in the past several months. Even without early-maturing crops, households in the Sahel Region were not likely to suffer much from food insecurity, owing to good rains that sustained bountiful pastures and provided adequate water to meet the needs of the livestock. With healthy animals at hand, milk and meat became available to most livestock-owning households who could also exchange some of their animals for cereal on local markets with no problems. Thus, relatively good security conditions have prevailed throughout the country. To date, the growing season appears to be performing well. As rains remained steady and adequate throughout the period, most crops reached the advanced stage of grain filling/maturation as of mid-September. In the South and Southwest areas, sources from the Ministry of Agriculture even reported that a number of crops, such as maize, cowpeas, groundnuts, and ignames were already ready for consumption. Elsewhere throughout the country, maize, which people consider a “relief crop” until the main staple cereals are available, was also ripe enough for consumption. During the period under review, most agricultural activities, which consist mainly of the final of round weeding, were virtually complete. In the agro-pastoral areas, especially in the North and Sahel Regions, green pastures were abundant while most rivers, dams, streams, ponds, and other water points were refilled to capacity. There were no major diseases or feeding problems to report. All these conditions augured well for agro-pastoral activities and livelihoods. Thanks to the good rains, which continue to fall, most crops should be ready for consumption or harvest by mid-October. The next two to three weeks remain critical, 1 however, given that most crops have reached the very sensitive grain- filling/maturation stage, which cannot tolerate any major physiological stress, however short. Thus, this brief period will greatly influence the level of crop production from the 2001/02 agricultural season. But no matter happens with the rains, knowledgeable sources believe that this year’s production is likely to exceed the level of production reached last year. 1. Current Food Security Conditions 1.1. Food Availability Food availability continued to be satisfactory during the period extending from mid- August through September 20. As a result, no major food shortages or similar difficulties were reported in Burkina Faso. Most major markets remained well supplied in cereals and other food commodities. At the household level, food security conditions have improved because early-maturing of maize and groundnut crops are available in most localities, except for the Sahel Region, where these crops are not usually grown. In some areas, especially in the South-West zone (Hauts-Bassins), sources from the Ministry of Agriculture observed that a number of crops, such as maize, groundut, cowpea, and ignames, already have reached maturity. To some extent, these crops have become a major source of relief for low-income families facing seasonal hunger during the past several months. During the period under review, the country benefited from two major food donations. The first donation, from Libya, consisted of 5,000 MT of rice and maize valued at 700 million CFA francs. The second donation, estimated at 100 MT of unspecified food aid, was recently granted by Saudi Arabia, but is not yet available for distribution. The donation from Libya came in late August and the distribution has already begun in a number of provinces or localities. As of mid-September, provinces that benefited from such free food distribution included Oubritenga, Ganzourgou, Namentenga, Table 1. Localities that Benefited from Libyan Food Aid as of Mid-September 2001 Amount of Food Aid Province Number and Type of Beneficiaries Received in MT Boulkiemde 100 16 women’s associations Ganzourgou 50 Over 100 women’s associations Kouritenga 50 9 women’s associations Kourwéogo 50 163 women’s associations Namentenga 100 160 women’s associations Oubritenga 50 275 women’s associations (with a total of 17,204 members) Passoré 70 Rural associations (number unknown) Total 470 Source: Ministry of Agriculture 2 Kouritenga, Kourweogo, Boulkiemde, and Passoré (Table 1). Other provinces were still waiting to receive their share, including Sanguié, Sourou, Nayala, Yatenga, Lorum, Zandoma, Seno, and Soum. This food aid, along with the arrival of fresh produce from the fields, has contributed to easing the soudure (or hungry period) during the past several months in several localities. Consequently, food availability conditions in this period were quite satisfactory and even better than in previous periods. 1.2. Food Accessibility Conditions Prices of millet and sorghum in key markets are falling off, indicating that average households are likely enjoying relative improvements in their access to food. Using prices of millet and sorghum, the major staple crops (millet prices in Kaya were not available), Figures 1 and 2 show that prices in most major markets have started to decline or level off as of mid-September. This downward trend in prices has occurred because fresh produce, such as maize, peanut, and cowpeas, are becoming available for many households across the country. In addition, thanks to the food aid program that provided free or subsidized food in a number of localities, fewer people relied on the market for their food supplies for their livelihood. The resulting lesser reliance on the market for food caused prices to drop or level off as is being observed in Bobo-Centre, Dedougou, Ouagadougou, Fada N’Gourma, and Kaya. The only exception is Dori, where prices for millet and sorghum continued to rise. Without offsetting increases in household income as prices rise, the greater the hardships average households are likely to face in accessing food. At least two factors have contributed to this situation in Dori. First, as the season progressed through the hungry period, national cereal availability declined, making less food available for domestic marketing, even at major redistribution centers such as Ouagadougou, which normally supplies Dori with cereals and other food commodities. In addition, local traders probably did not bring in enough food to meet the consistently high demand, owing to the poor harvests from previous season. Poor road conditions in the Sahel Region have also hampered deliveries to Dori and surrounding areas, where prices are now the highest of the major markets. Another explanation for the rising prices is that Dori and the surrounding areas in the Sahel Region do not offer the right environment for growing the so-called relief crops, such as maize, groundnuts, and cowpeas. As a result, these areas usually experience higher prices for longer periods as most average households there rely more on the market for their daily food staple consumption. Unfortunately, no major food aid distributions or sales were reported during the period. In spite of this rising price trend, the favorable agro-pastoral conditions so far in the Sahel Region (abundant water, forage, milk, along with relatively high prices for most livestock) suggest that average households there should not face major problems in accessing food through the local markets. 3 Figure 1. Nominal Millet Prices in Key Markets as of September 20, 2001 250 200 150 CFA Francs /kg100 50 Bobo-Centre Dori Ouahigouya Ouagadougou Kaya Figure 2. Nominal Sorghum Prices in Key Markets as of September 20, 2001 250 Jun-01 Jul-01 Aug-01 Sep-01 200 Avg 96-00 150 CFA Francs/ kg 100 50 Bobo-Centre Dori Ouahigouya Ouagadougou Kaya FEWS NET/ Burkina Faso Source: SIM Meanwhile in the rest of the country, maize, cowpea, and groundnut crops have started becoming available for most rural households, a factor that explains why food commodity prices across most major markets tended to decline or level off. Overall, food access conditions during the period under review were satisfactory and improved over previous months. 4 1.3. Response Planning Update With the recent donation of food from Libya (5,000 MT) and Saudi Arabia (100 MT) along with food aid stocks from other donors, the government has begun its third round of food assistance to people in areas that were hardest hit by high food insecurity. This assistance is scheduled to continue through October or until most planted crops are ready for consumption. FEWS NET will continue updating on this joint effort initiated several months ago by the government and most partners in Burkina Faso. 2. National Trends: Hazard Information 2.1. Epidemic Threats In September, Ministry of Health sources revealed that cholera had suddenly erupted in the southeast localities of Bittou and Cinkansé near the Togolese border. Travelers