Increased commodity prices to continue through the lean season

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During the current 2024–2025 agricultural season, rainfall has been well distributed in most of the country, particularly in the Maritime, Plateaux, and southwestern Central regions, which have received satisfactory cumulative rainfall, enabling farming activities to proceed normally. Some early crops, such as groundnuts, fresh maize, and cassava roots, are available in localized areas. However, in the northern regions, notably in Savanes and Kara, the onset of the rainy season has been slow, and fieldwork is at the land preparation stage.
Given high food prices and low household purchasing power, market access is low for poor households, refugees, and internally displaced persons (IDPs), whose livelihoods are very precarious. Their food situation is expected to deteriorate further throughout the lean season until the harvest period in early September. Many of these households will be forced to limit the amount of food they eat and will not be able to afford certain essential non-food items without engaging in irreversible coping strategies. The poorest households will likely face food deficits or be forced to adopt crisis coping strategies indicative of Crisis (IPC Phase 3) outcomes.
In the lead-up to the lean period, market availability of food is relatively good, and prices remain relatively stable on almost all markets. However, maize prices rose by a national average of 28 percent compared with the five-year average in March, although prices remained stable compared with the previous month (February) in the Maritime and Savanes regions. In the Plateaux and Kara regions, prices rose more significantly by 15 percent and 8 percent, respectively. Further increases are to be expected in the coming months due to dwindling family stocks and households' heavy dependence on the market, as well as demand linked to the presence of refugees and IDPs in the Savanes region.
Despite the decline in the frequency of conflicts, a climate of insecurity persists in the north of the country, with attacks and landmines continuing to affect communities, especially in the Kpendjal and Tône districts. This climate is not conducive to the return of refugees and IDPs to their places of origin in the north of the country. The security state of emergency, decreed in June 2022, is still in force. However, according to observers, the regional and legislative elections of April 2024 took place in a calm and peaceful climate.

Recommended citation: FEWS NET. Togo Key Message Update May 2024: Increased commodity prices to continue through the lean season, 2024.

This Key Message Update provides a high-level analysis of current acute food insecurity conditions and any changes to FEWS NET's latest projection of acute food insecurity outcomes in the specified geography. Learn more here.