FOOD SECURITY SNAPSHOT
Despite floods in parts, higher aggregate cereal harvest estimated for 2011
Cereal import requirements remain high but are estimated to fall in 2011/12
More than three million vulnerable people are estimated to face food deficit as chronic food insecurity continues throughout the country
Despite floods in parts, higher aggregate cereal harvest estimated for 2011
Harvesting of the 2011 main season crops, mainly rice and maize, is completed. According to the FAO/WFP Crop and Food Security Assessment Mission (CFSAM) report published in November, a total of about 5.5 million tonnes of staple food (cereals, soybeans and potatoes in cereal equivalent) production from cooperative farms, individual plots on sloping land and household gardens for 2011/12 is expected. This includes estimates for the 2011 main season harvest (rice in paddy terms) and forecast for the 2012 early season crops. This is about 8.5 percent higher than the revised and near normal production in 2010/11, reflecting higher plantings and yields. When paddy is converted to milled rice and potatoes and soybeans to cereal equivalent, the above total production comes to 4.66 million tonnes.
Despite the July-August floods, which affected paddy crop and the subsequent typhoons which particularly impacted the maize crop mainly in North and South Hwanghae, two of the important grain producing provinces in the country, higher use of fertilizer, and other inputs such as diesel and electricity, resulted in the improved harvest.
Cereal import requirements remain high but are estimated to fall in 2011/12
Given the Mission’s estimate of total cereal utilization of 5.4 million tonnes, the total cereal import requirements for the 2011/12 marketing year (November/October) are calculated at 739 000 tonnes, substantially below the 2010/11 estimate of 1.086 million tonnes provided by the Rapid Security Assessment (RFSA). The government currently plans to import 325 000 tonnes of cereals for the upcoming marketing year. Consequently, the Mission estimates an uncovered food deficit of 414 000 tones for the 2011/12 marketing year.
More than three million vulnerable people are estimated to face food deficit as chronic food insecurity continues throughout the country
The FAO/WFP mission had concluded that 3 million vulnerable people, mainly living in the five most food-insecure provinces of Ryanggang, Chagang, North Hamgyong, South Hamgyong and Kangwon, are in urgent need of international food assistance, due to an inadequate food production and commercial imports. The mission recommended provision of 120 000 tonnes, in cereal equivalent, of fortified blended food, fortified biscuits, and other high protein food commodities for distribution to the most vulnerable including children; pregnant and lactating women; elderly without support.
In order to improve food security in the short to medium term, the Mission also recommended national and international support for - (i) inputs, in particular plastic sheets and seeds for the early crops wheat, barley and potatoes, (ii) support for conservation agriculture (CA) and (iii) general assistance to private household garden production.