Minimal acute food insecurity due to normal stock levels and income generating activities

• The current food security context is marked by above-average harvests following the end of the main harvest for staple cereals and average levels of off-season cropping. Food availability has increased throughout the region compared to before the harvests, and households maintain Minimal (IPC Phase 1) levels of acute food insecurity.
• Poor households are and will continue to earn normal revenues from typical income generating activities such as petty trade, crop sales, and casual labor through June 2014. This situation will help them maintain Minimal (IPC Phase 1) levels acute food insecurity through at least June 2014 as they transition to more market purchases for their food needs.

Food security conditions remain favorable due in part to above average harvest production which has been leading to increased crop availability on markets and at the household level. International rice imports also remain regular, adding to availability on national markets. Households who depend on market purchase to meet their food needs are able to access markets normally as market prices remain relatively stable compared to last year at this time. Even though the price for local rice is slightly above levels seen last year, the average national purchase price of imported rice is down 11 percent compared to January 2013. These favorable market prices for consumers are expected to be maintained until the next lean season beginning in May, ensuring good food access for poor households.

Income earning activities, including casual labor, fishing, petty trade, and crop sales are providing normal incomes for poor households, allowing them to meet their typical food and non-food expenses. The unskilled labor daily wage increased about 25 percent in 2013/14 as casual labor wages begin to align with mining labor wages. Revenues from the sale of off-season crops such as onion, lettuce, cabbage, carrot, tomato and palm oil are generally average due to the ongoing good production and average sale prices.

Normal income levels from typical income earning activities are expected to hold throughout the 2013/14 consumption year. This, combined with good production stocks at the household level, will allow households to access their food and non-food needs through market purchase and own production as they typically would in a normal year. As such, households will continue to experience Minimal acute food insecurity (IPC Phase 1) through June.