Seasonally good food availability and access maintaining Minimal (IPC Phase 1) acute food insecurity

A normal start for cultivation of main season rice and cassava is expected across the country in April/May as preparations continue normally. Most farmers are clearing sites for planting, and local and international forecasts call for adequate rainfall during most of the planting period in April through June. Heavy and early rainfall has already been noted in Southeastern Region and in Lofa.

Food availability is expected to remain typical with the expectedly average level of imports, recent rice and cassava harvest stocks, ongoing harvests of off-season tubers, vegetables, palm oil and fruits, and fishing and wild collection of snails, mushroom and palm nuts. These sources, along with casual labor incomes, are expected to maintain seasonally average food access and consumption levels in most households, with Minimal (IPC Phase 1) acute food insecurity outcomes expected.  

However, even with the recent harvest, rising market prices attributed to the depreciation in the Liberian Dollar are reducing food purchasing power for some poor households, day laborers in particular. Prices of cassava and palm oil in Monrovia increased significantly in February, as did prices for imported rice and palm oil in the Southeastern Region and Gbarpolu County, where per reports, the average price of a gallon of gasoline exceeded last year’s price by nearly 50 percent.