KARAMOJA RAPID CROP AND FOOD SECURITY ASSESSMENT KAMPALA, AUGUST 2013 This Rapid Assessment was conducted by: World Food Programme (WFP) - Elliot Vhurumuku; Hamidu Tusiime; Eunice Twanza; Alex Ogenrwoth; Swaleh Gule; James Odong; and Joseph Ndawula Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO) - Bernard Onzima; Joseph Egabu; Paddy Namurebire; and Michael Lokiru Office of the Prime Minister (OPM) - Johnson Oworo; Timothy Ojwi; Jimmy Ogwang; and Catherine Nakalembe Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries (MAAIF) - James Obo; and Stephen Kataama Table of Contents Executive Summary ................................................................................................................................. 2 1. INTRODUCTION ............................................................................................................................... 3 1.1. Background .............................................................................................................................. 3 1.2. Objectives ................................................................................................................................ 4 1.3. Methodology ........................................................................................................................... 4 1.3.1. Sampling methodology .................................................................................................... 4 1.3.2. Selection of respondents ................................................................................................. 5 2. AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTION ......................................................................................................... 5 2.1. Performance of the rainfall season ......................................................................................... 5 2.2. Land preparation .......................................................................................................................... 6 2.3. Crop Inputs ................................................................................................................................... 7 2.4. Area planted ................................................................................................................................. 7 2.5. Crop performance and yields ....................................................................................................... 8 2.5.1. Southern Districts .................................................................................................................. 8 2.5.2. Northern districts ................................................................................................................ 10 2.6. Production Estimates ................................................................................................................. 11 2.7. Livestock and pasture condition................................................................................................. 12 2.7.1. Pasture and water availability ............................................................................................. 12 2.7.2. Milk production ................................................................................................................... 12 2.7.3. Livestock health ................................................................................................................... 12 3. MARKETS ........................................................................................................................................... 13 3.1. Casual labour .............................................................................................................................. 13 3.2. Livestock markets ....................................................................................................................... 14 3.3. Main Cereal Markets .................................................................................................................. 14 3.4. Terms of Trade (TOT) .................................................................................................................. 15 4. HOUSEHOLD FOOD SECURITY AND VULNERABILITY ANALYSIS ......................................................... 16 4.1. Household food access ............................................................................................................... 16 4.1.1. Income Sources ................................................................................................................... 16 4.1.2. Food Sources ....................................................................................................................... 17 4.2. Household food consumption .................................................................................................... 19 5. NUTRITIONAL STATUS ....................................................................................................................... 20 6. FOOD ASSISTANCE REQUIREMENTS .................................................................................................. 22 6.1. Vulnerable areas ......................................................................................................................... 22 6.1.1. Current food security (September to November) ............................................................... 22 6.1.2. Projected food security (Lean season 2014 /Post-harvest) ................................................ 23 6.1.4. Strategies for coping with food insecurity .......................................................................... 24 7. RECOMMENDATIONS FOR FOLLOW-UP ACTIONS ............................................................................ 25 7.1. Recommendations related to household food security ............................................................. 25 7.1.1. Short term ........................................................................................................................... 25 7.1.2. Medium to long term .......................................................................................................... 25 7.2. Recommendations related to agriculture .................................................................................. 26 7.2.1 Short term ............................................................................................................................ 26 7.2.2 Medium to long term ........................................................................................................... 26 4 September 2013: Karamoja Rapid Crop and Food Security Assessment Report P a g e | 1 Executive Summary Following a long dry spell from mid-May to mid-July of 2013, the Government requested FAO and WFP to carry out a rapid assessment in Karamoja region to understand its impact on agriculture and food security. The assessment was meant to triangulate findings from earlier studies by the Government and humanitarian partners. The assessment was carried out by staff from the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the World Food Programme (WFP) of the United Nations; the Office of the Prime Minister (OPM); and the Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries (MAAIF). As a result of the dry spell, less than optimum acreages of sorghum and finger millet were planted in the northern districts of Karamoja, estimated at 50 percent for Kotido; 40 percent for Abim; and 30 percent or less for Kaabong. For the southern districts, the planted acreages were within the normal season range. The dry spell led to wilting of the early planted sorghum and maize crops and also resulted in poor grain-filling of the crops that survived in Kotido, Abim and the agro-pastoral areas of Moroto, Napak, Nakapiripirit and parts of Amudat districts. The yields are expected to be below the normal in most of the sub-counties as a result of the general poor crop performance; an estimated 108,000 tonnes of cereals will be harvested in Karamoja. Furthermore, due to the poor season and crop failure, the harvest will be delayed thereby extending the lean season by 1 to 2 months as the main harvest will be expected in September/October in most of the sub-counties. Most of the sub- counties in the southern districts of Moroto, Napak, Nakapiripirit and parts of Amudat districts were green- harvesting by the time of the survey, despite the poor rainfall season. Similarly, in Kotido and Abim some households had access to green harvest. The dry spell did not have much impact on pastures and water and hence, livestock production and productivity across all districts was good. Calving and milk production were at the normal levels, especially with the resumption of the rainfall in mid-July 2013. Livestock has however been affected by a number of diseases such as Contagious Bovine Pleuro Pneumonia (CBPP) in all the seven districts of Karamoja. The sub-counties whose harvest has been severely impacted by the dry spell are in Kotido and Kaabong and the central agro pastoral belt of Moroto, Napak and Nakapiripirit districts. As a result, current food insecurity situation is severe for about 103,000 people and another 248,000 are under stress and require a further round of food assistance in October 2013, to cover the extended lean season until the main harvest in October 2013. Given the low income opportunities, high poverty levels, diminished livestock ownership and high malnutrition rates in the affected sub-counties, the expected poor harvest will result in an early lean season by February 2014, and the food security condition in the