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Wednesday, 25 January 2017 00:00 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}
The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations says the ‘Maha’ season cereal crop in 2017 is significantly impaired by dry weather conditions and the rice import requirements are projected to increase during the year.
The bulk of the 2017 largely irrigated ‘Maha’ rice crop, normally accounting for 65% of the annual production, was planted by the end of December and the below-average rainfall since the start of the season in October, coupled with low irrigation water availability, resulted in significant cuts in the area planted, further reducing yield prospects for the season, according to a FAO country analysis report.
The latest official estimates of plantings indicate that, as of end-November, 327 000 hectares were put under the 2017 ‘Maha’ paddy crop, 50% below the area planted at the same time in 2016.
According to the FAO analysis, insufficient rainfall during the third 10-day rainfall measuring period of December 2016 indicated a risk of drought conditions developing in various main rice-producing areas, including the Northern, North Central and Eastern provinces. As a result, FAO’s outlook for the 2017 ‘Maha’ season paddy output is unfavorable.
Given the current low water levels in main reservoirs, there is also concern for the 2017 irrigated secondary ‘Yala’ crop, to be planted from April, if rains do not improve in the coming weeks.
Prospects for the 2017 main season maize crop, to be harvested from February, are also unfavorable, due to the dry spell.
FAO says the total cereal imports requirements in 2017 are forecast to increase from last year’s already high level. The increase is mainly driven by the unfavorable prospects for the 2017 rice production. Imports of wheat, which is not produced domestically, are anticipated to remain at last year’s high level of 1.2 million tonnes, reflecting strong domestic demand.
Domestic prices of rice, the main staple food in the country, rose considerably for four consecutive months, reaching record levels in December 2016. The spike in prices is due to the reduced 2016 secondary ‘Yala’ output, harvested in September, and the unfavorable prospects for the main 2017 ‘Maha’ crop.
In an attempt to ease rice prices, the Government began releasing paddy from public stocks to millers in late December. In addition, the Government plans to import rice and reduce duties and taxes on imported rice in early January 2017. Wheat prices remained overall stable, reflecting adequate market availabilities following the high level of imports in recent months.
The UN agency expressed concern for vulnerable rural groups as the food security conditions are expected to deteriorate on expectations of significant cereal (rice, maize, millet) production losses for the ongoing ‘Maha’ season, which follows a reduced ‘Yala’ harvest in 2016.
Subsistence farm households, particularly in the North Western, North Central, Uva and Southern provinces, will likely be most affected and require some humanitarian and emergency recovery assistance.
According to the Disaster Management Centre, almost 1 million people in 23 out of 25 districts have been negatively affected by drought conditions.
“Record prices of rice negatively affect food access and further stress the food security situation of the most vulnerable populations,” the FAO stressed.
