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Ethiopia: Erratic rainfall threatens crop yields
Ethiopia produces 90-95 percent of its total cereal output during the
main rainy season, called 'meher', which runs from June to October.
According to the US Famine Early Warning Systems Network (Fews
Net), the `meher’ crop season is likely to experience below normal rains.
The `belg’ (early rains, February-June) season, which normally
accounts for 5-10 percent of total cereal output, has also been
unpredictable.
"Forecasts for rainfall during the main cropping season and in northern
pastoral areas are below normal, particularly in areas of the east where
production was poor this year, raising concerns that a serious food
crisis could emerge in Ethiopia over the next year," Fews Net said in a
24 June statement.
The late start of the early rains meant that only 50-70 percent of land
planned for planting was sown by mid-April, according to the World
Food Programme (WFP).
Fews Net said the lowland pastoral and marginal production areas in the
eastern regions had also received "below normal" rains.
Food crisis denied
Meles denied the country was facing a food crisis. "We have hundreds
of thousands of tons of wheat in our store houses here in Ethiopia."
However, according to aid workers, Ethiopia has almost five million
people requiring emergency food assistance.
A total of 7.5 million chronically food insecure people also receive
assistance through a social welfare scheme called the Productive Safety
Nets Programme.
To meet immediate needs, the Stakeholder Food Prioritization
Committee has asked the government to release 11,000 tons of cereals.
According to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian
Affairs (OCHA), the government’s Disaster Risk Management Food
Security Sector and WFP also have 30,000 tons of food in the pipeline.
"However, this quantity covers only one third of the monthly
requirement," OCHA said, adding that the food in the pipeline was likely
to be available only in late July or August due to congestion at Djibouti
port.
"We have given priority to the transportation of fertilizers because we
need fertilizers now," Meles said. "But we have spare strategic reserve
food in our stores. So it does not make sense to prioritize transport of
food from the port at the expense of fertilizers. If [WFP] is facing any
problem in terms of transport... go to these [strategic reserve]
warehouses and take out loans to be replenished later when their food in
the port is transported to the country."
- 26 June, 2009 ( IRIN ) - The late
start of Ethiopia's wet season and the
unreliability of the rains could affect
crop production this year and
increase the number of those in need
of aid, officials said.
"The rainy season will start late
particularly in the northeastern part
of our country," Prime Minister
Meles Zenawi told reporters at his
office on 24 June. "That means the
cropping season for some types of
crops may not be appropriate this
year."
Ethiopia produces 90-95 percent of its total cereal output during the
main rainy season, called 'meher', which runs from June to October.
According to the US Famine Early Warning Systems Network (Fews
Net), the `meher’ crop season is likely to experience below normal rains.
The `belg’ (early rains, February-June) season, which normally
accounts for 5-10 percent of total cereal output, has also been
unpredictable.
"Forecasts for rainfall during the main cropping season and in northern
pastoral areas are below normal, particularly in areas of the east where
production was poor this year, raising concerns that a serious food
crisis could emerge in Ethiopia over the next year," Fews Net said in a
24 June statement.
The late start of the early rains meant that only 50-70 percent of land
planned for planting was sown by mid-April, according to the World
Food Programme (WFP).
Fews Net said the lowland pastoral and marginal production areas in the
eastern regions had also received "below normal" rains.
Food crisis denied
Meles denied the country was facing a food crisis. "We have hundreds
of thousands of tons of wheat in our store houses here in Ethiopia."
However, according to aid workers, Ethiopia has almost five million
people requiring emergency food assistance.
A total of 7.5 million chronically food insecure people also receive
assistance through a social welfare scheme called the Productive Safety
Nets Programme.
To meet immediate needs, the Stakeholder Food Prioritization
Committee has asked the government to release 11,000 tons of cereals.
According to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian
Affairs (OCHA), the government’s Disaster Risk Management Food
Security Sector and WFP also have 30,000 tons of food in the pipeline.
"However, this quantity covers only one third of the monthly
requirement," OCHA said, adding that the food in the pipeline was likely
to be available only in late July or August due to congestion at Djibouti
port.
"We have given priority to the transportation of fertilizers because we
need fertilizers now," Meles said. "But we have spare strategic reserve
food in our stores. So it does not make sense to prioritize transport of
food from the port at the expense of fertilizers. If [WFP] is facing any
problem in terms of transport... go to these [strategic reserve]
warehouses and take out loans to be replenished later when their food in
the port is transported to the country."
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