Food stocks low after long dry spell

A period of abnormally dry weather has led to a drop in the level of food stocks in most parts of Burundi, according to a food security unit in the country.

The unit, the Systeme d'alerte precoce et surveillance de la securite alimentaire au Burundi, reported that the dry period between the end of January and the end of February had been extremely severe, and the last harvest of beans, cereals and bananas poorer than expected. In its March bulletin, the unit reported a 19 percent fall in the production of beans, the essential source of protein for most Burundians.

The unit produces monthly reports, aimed at warning of serious food crises, in collaboration with UN agencies and NGOs operating in Burundi.

The unit reported that the dry weather had also delayed planting for the next harvest, and created a shortage of seeds. Fertiliser was "rare and expensive," the unit reported. Furthermore, in the central and eastern provinces, farming communities have been hindered by persistent insecurity, repeated displacement and looting.

This is normally a time of plenty for farmers, but the unit reported that even in areas such as Ngozi and Muyinga, largely unaffected by the conflict, there had been only a slight increase in the availability of food.

The unit forecast that the next harvest might also be disrupted because of poor and late rains.