Reference Date: 05-February-2024

Crop production in 2023 continues to be affected by conflicts and climate

In the unimodal rainfall northern areas, harvesting of 2023 millet and sorghum crops finalized last November. In Far North Region, below‑average rainfalls affected yields in localized areas.

In addition, fall armyworms also affected off‑season sorghum, a crop usually grown to make up for the poor winter season.

In central and southern areas, the 2023 secondary season maize crop was planted last October under favourable weather conditions and its harvest started in January 2024.

Persistent insecurity and conflics in Far North, Northwest and Southwest regions continue to affect agricultural activities, limiting farmers’ access to inputs, technical training and fields, and having a negative impact on the 2023 crop production.

Prices of locally produced maize and imported rice at high levels

According to the National Statistics Institute (INS), the inflation rate was at 7.8 percent in May 2023, compared to 6.3 percent and 2.3 percent, respectively one and two years before, food prices being the main driver (13.3 percent). After having increased between March and June 2023, prices of locally produced maize were stable or decreased slightly since July, remaining always above the level of a year earlier. Similarly, prices of imported rice remained at high levels in recent months. High fuel prices continue to increase transportation costs and maintain high costs of agricultural inputs, food and non‑food commodities. Prices for key fertilizers remained consistently high across the country, though price increases have eased during the second half of 2023 due to significant global declines in fertilizer prices.

About 3 million people estimated to be severely food insecure in 2023

According to the latest Cadre Harmonisé (CH) analysis conducted in October 2023, about 3 million people, 11 percent of the total population, were estimated to be severely acute food insecure (CH Phase 3 [Crisis] or above) between October and December 2023. About 2.5 million people, 9 percent of the total population, is forecast to be severely food insecure between June and August 2024.This mainly results from the persistent armed violence as well as flooding contributing to the displacement of the population in Far North. For Northwest and Southwest regions, rainy season transportation difficulties and security incidents (kidnappings, killings and lockdowns) hampered access to certain areas of interventions.

Disclaimer: The designations employed and the presentation of material in this information product do not imply the expression of any opinion whatsoever on the part of FAO concerning the legal status of any country, territory, city or area or of its authorities, or concerning the delimitation of its frontiers or boundaries.

This brief was prepared using the following data/tools:
FAO/GIEWS Country Cereal Balance Sheet (CCBS) https://www.fao.org/giews/data-tools/en/ .

FAO/GIEWS Food Price Monitoring and Analysis (FPMA) Tool https://fpma.fao.org/ .

FAO/GIEWS Earth Observation for Crop Monitoring https://www.fao.org/giews/earthobservation/ .

Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) https://www.ipcinfo.org/ .