Western hills vulnerable to food security

Despite a marginal surplus in the national cereal balance, Nepal will still sustain a significant population vulnerable to food insecurity -- particularly those with limited economic access and residing in remote and rural areas of Mid- and Far-Western hill and mountain districts, according to a report.
The country saw good cereal output, said the report Crops Situation produced jointly by Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives, World Food Programme (WFP), and the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) as part of strengthening and institutionalisation of Nepal Food Security Monitoring System-NeKSAP with the funding from the European Union (EU).
Rainfall in March-April has been favourable for timely planting of spring paddy and spring maize, it said, adding that the anticipated beginning of the monsoon with a forecast of normal rainfall is, still, expected so far to be favourable for the next summer crops production.
In the fiscal year 2010-11, the country witnessed wheat production increase by 12.2 per cent to 1.75 million Metric Tonnes (MT) compared to 1.56 million MT a fiscal year ago.
Similarly, barley output has increased by 9.6 per cent to 30.2 thousand MT compared to 27.6 thousand MT last year.
The production of buckwheat -- which is also included in cereal food balance computation from this year -- was also up.
In 2010-11, the production of overall cereal crops has increased by 10.9 per cent to 8.62 million MT compared to 7.76 million MT a year ago.
Similarly, the overall edible cereal crop production shows a total of 110,000 MT (up by two per cent) surplus this year in contrast to 330,000 MT (down by six per cent) deficit last year, the report added.
An increase in the overall cereal output is attributed by a number of factors such as adequate precipitation across the country during plantation and growing period, fertilizer subsidy in some hill and mountain districts, and the support to agricultural productivity enhancement programme from both government and non-government organisations.