Neo Kolane
Below-average rainfall is expected to negatively impact green harvesting in February and March this year, the Famine Early Warning System Network (FEWS NET) has warned.
This will also affect agricultural labour opportunities at the start of the main harvest in April and May, the organisation said in a report published last week.
“Largely well-distributed rainfall is likely to support crop production, but low liquidity among better-off households and high agricultural input prices are likely to lower labour opportunities,” FEWS NET noted.
The report further indicated that high market prices will likely impact purchasing power and diet diversity for poor and very poor households.
It added that lower-than-normal income from agricultural labour opportunities will probably lower household access to their non-food needs.
“However, cumulative rainfall totals and distribution must be carefully monitored throughout the rainy season.
“The harvest period is typically associated with high agricultural labour demand, but agricultural labour opportunities will likely remain lower than normal if the harvest is impacted by erratic and cumulatively below-average rainfall in January and February, with below-normal access to income likely to impact household purchasing power,” FEWS NET added.
