Food Security Monitor - July 2024

Summary

Our monthly Food Security Monitor is one way AGRA makes data available to key stakeholders to underpin evidence-based decision-making. Highlights from the July 2024 Food Security Monitor are summarised below:

Food Security Updates

Food insecurity remains a concern in the southern Africa region, particularly in Zambia, Malawi, Mozambique and Zimbabwe. So far, most of the affected countries are taking several steps to meet the expected shortfall as the region enters the lean season. For instance, Zambia has secured an arrangement with its neighbour, Tanzania, to procure 650,000 Mt of maize, despite scepticism by the private sector in terms of logistics. So far, the Government of Malawi has also mobilized nearly 100 million USD equivalent to about 161,576 MT maize out of the required 261,574 MT needed to meet the lean season requirements. As part of the drought mitigation plan, the Government of Zimbabwe has issued 651 import permits to private companies to procure at least 3.2 million tonnes of maize. Despite these efforts, drought and conflict affected parts of the region are faced with Stressed (IPC Phase 2) to Crisis (IPC Phase 3) conditions, further driven by the early onset of the lean season.

In Eastern Africa, some parts of South Sudan face severe food insecurity situation, with a risk of Famine (IPC Phase 5), while the rest of the country faces Crisis (IPC Phase 3) and Emergency (IPC Phase 4) conditions. Food insecurity remains a concern in Ethiopia with much of the country experiencing IPC 3 and 4 conditions. Otherwise, most parts of the region have seen improvement in the food security situation due to increased food supply from previous harvests. In West Africa, Emergency (IPC Phase 4) and Catastrophe (IPC Phase 5) conditions are projected in parts of Burkina Faso and Mali due to heightened insecurity and conflicts. Apart from these, most of the region is facing Crisis (IPC Phase 3) conditions.

Food Commodity Prices Updates

Maize prices in the Eastern Africa region have started increasing when compared to the past 1-3 months, except in Rwanda, whose prices have remained below the past 1-12 months. Ethiopia has the most expensive maize in the region mainly due to the continuous depreciation of the national currency, poor harvests caused by dry weather conditions and conflict related farming and trade disruptions. On the other hand, South Sudan is experiencing the most rapid rise in the prices of maize in the region. In Southern Africa, the prices of grains in respective local currencies remain high in most countries compared to the past 1-12 months due to macroeconomic challenges, the aftermath of Cyclone Freddy and the El Ninoinduced drought. However, the ongoing efforts to import maize from other countries such as South Africa, Tanzania and Uganda may help stabilise retail prices during the winter season. In West Africa, the overall local prices of maize grain in the two West African countries show higher trends compared to the past 3-12 months, except for a few markets in Togo whose current price is stable or had declined compared to the past 12 months. The changes in millet and rice prices also show higher trends, except Lagos, where there is significant decline in price compared to the past 1-12 months. All other markets in Niger and Nigeria have recorded significantly higher prices of rice over the same periods, ranging from 4.29% in Agadez to 323.31% in Ibadan. The high cost-of-living crisis, due to high inflation rates, currency depreciation, and elevated fuel prices, continued to push up staple crop prices.

Source: AGRA