This monitoring cycle is the traditional lean season in agricultural Nepal, with participants to the WFP/VAM survey reporting limited food stocks (ranging from 2 weeks to 2 months) and an increase in their engagement in alternative livelihood sources. As before, a range of livelihood strategies have been reported, including wage labour, the sale of fuel wood, bamboo crafts and milk, the collection of forest products, and road construction.
Local yield predictions for the winter harvest of wheat and barley are not promising, particularly in areas lacking irrigation facilities. In these areas, inadequate rain and snowfall during the planting and growth stages have resulted in the poor performance of the crop thus far. Based on this cycle’s plant conditions, survey participants reported an anticipated decrease in production as large as 50%. Rains received after the end of this monitoring cycle, in early to mid-March, may have a positive effect on wheat and barley production, but the actual effect of these late rains cannot yet be determined.
The data indicate a slight, but not yet significant, increase in the price of basic food items. Many districts report no change in prices due to regular food movement, while others show small increases due to rising prices in the Terai source markets and transport costs, Bandhs, and low production/ stocks.
This cycle’s data shows no current indication of extraordinary stress or coping mechanisms, however, this situation may change. Reports indicate that households in Kalikot, eastern Bajura, Dailekh, Jajarkot, Mugu, Dolpa, Humla, and Jumla districts have low food stocks, given their poor summer harvest of rice, millet and/or maize. Low yields of the winter harvests of wheat and barley may compound this problem, with the combination of two successive weak harvests resulting in increased vulnerability to food insecurity in the districts and Village Development Committees(VDCs) covered by WFP/VAM Food Security Monitoring.
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Publisher:
WFP
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(2006
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Type / Script:
Bulletin or Poster
in English
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Keywords:
FOOD SECURITY, CROPS, FOOD RESERVES, AGRICULTURE, AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTION, FOOD, FOREST PRODUCTS, ROAD CONSTRUCTION, INCOME, WAGE LABOUR, WINTER HARVEST
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Thematic Group:
WFP
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Food and Emergency humanitarian logistict support
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Thesaurus:
10.01.00
- Food And Nutrition
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Reference Link:
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