Food security improves

The current food security in Uganda has improved due to normal rainfall received in most parts of the country. This has resulted into improved crop and increased food production compared to previous year, according to Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC). “Abundant rainfall also favoured pasture and water availability for livestock in the cattle corridor in central and southwestern Uganda with a positive effect on body condition, milk production and calving rates,” says Food Security Brief, a quarterly report by the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification. According to the report dated May 2010, increased food availability has led to a decline in prices of food items and livestock products in bimodal areas.

“The decline in prices was first observed in November 2009, and continued into the first quarter of 2010. Falling prices of grains like maize and rice have not only induced traders to reduce stocks but also discouraged farmers from growing the crop this current season,” says Rachel Nandelenga, the Information Officer at the Food and Agriculture Organisation at the United Nations (Fao). However, the food security situation has not favoured Karamoja region because last year’s only cropping season did not perform well with households maintaining minimal stocks up to January 2010.

Although the region experienced suppressed rainfall conditions last November, near normal conditions returned in December; the regular dry season went by and the rains started as expected in April, says the IPC report. Projections are however mixed as the usual dry spell that occurs from June or July could affect the cereals at the critical stage of flowering. The land use and yield assessment (April 2010) described the availability and stability of food resources as highly inadequate as over (90 per cent of households expected to have exhausted their stocks by December 2009.

This implies that stocks would be exhausted by January 2010 and households would therefore need external supplies to help them bridge the hunger gap in the first quarter of the year.“About 74 per cent of the population is reported to have received food aid representing a reduction in the number of food aid recipients,” Nandelenga said. “If the rains persist, cereals will reach flowering stage from June to July. However projections are mixed as a dry spell that usually occurs from June or July could affect the cereals which could be at a critical stage of flowering,” she said.

Causes of food insecurity

The major causes of food insecurity in the regions include animal diseases and crop pastes leading to raising morbidity for livestock, and unreliable rains leading to low production. Crop diseases such as cassava brown streak, bacterial wilt and mealy bugs; Contagious Bovine Pleuro Pneumonia (CBPP) and Black quarter in livestock are rampant. Over-grazing, desertification and erratic rain also cause food insecurity in the area.

As for the northern population that has suffered the 20 year war has also increase led to high HIV/Aids prevalence rates which have negatively affected labour necessary for agricultural production.
Poor infrastructures, especially feeder roads that are expected to worsen during the rainy seasons, also lead to food insecurity.