A
quarter of the population consume inadequate food, according to a survey.
"Some
25.3 per cent of the population had inadequate food consumption during the
latest cycle, a slight deterioration since the previous cycle but a significant
improvement compared to the same period last year, reported the Nepal Food Security Monitoring System (NeKSAP)
household survey.
"The
highest proportion of households with inadequate food consumption (33.6 per cent)
was in the mountain districts," it revealed, adding that the average
household food stock was 341 kg. "With current food stock levels
households can meet their food needs for roughly 3.9 months."
The NeKSAP District Food Security Networks (DFSNs) has
also classified 11 village development committees (VDCs) in Dailekh and
Darchula districts as Phase 3 highly food insecure or crisis.
In Dailekh the primary reasons for the high level of
food insecurity include the loss of roughly 80 per cent of the main winter crop
– that is wheat – as a result of hailstorms and a decrease in income from the
sale of agricultural products by 40 per cent to 60 per cent, whereas in
Darchula, flood led to the current situation, it added. "Overall, an
estimated 37,130 people are affected."
Reported coping strategies include selling of
livestock and assets and skipping meals; out-migration has increased by 20 per
cent to 40 per cent in Dailekh. Furthermore, DFSNs in 12 districts have
classified 147 VDCs as Phase 2 moderately food insecure or stressed in this
period.
Likewise,
Ministry of Agricultural Development, WFP and FAO joint crop
assessment the fiscal year 2012-13 estimated the production of main winter
crops, wheat and barley, at 1.9 million metric tonnes (MT) and 37,000 MT respectively,
an increase by two per cent and six per cent respectively over a fiscal year 2011-12.
However, the estimated national crop production was 8.74 million MT, a decrease
of 7.6 per cent compared to last year. Overall, there was a net positive
national cereal balance for human consumption, with a surplus of 408.4 thousand
MT. Nevertheless, 33 districts, mostly in the Mid- and Far-Western Hill and
Mountain regions, are food deficit.
However, the rest of the country has had a seasonal improvement in the food
security situation, largely due to the recent harvest of the winter cereal
crops like wheat and barley, the report prepared Jointly by the Ministry
of Agricultural Development Food Security Monitoring Unit and WFP Food
Security Monitoring and Analysis Unit – for the period from April to June –
said. " The number of VDCs experiencing varying levels of food insecurity
have fallen to 158 from 209 in the January-March period."
Some
parts of the country are likely to experience a deterioration in the food
security situation during July-August, but it should improve with the start of the maize and paddy harvest during September-October."
Household income pattern
KATHMANDU: The survey also revealed that the largest
share of household income source was daily wages (29 per cent) followed by crop
sales (19 per cent), remittances (14 per cent), and private enterprise (13 per cent).
According to central bank, the remittance inflow during in the last fiscal year
2012-13 stood at Rs 434.58 billion, an increase of 20.9 per cent compared to a
fiscal year ago.
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