A detailed joint assessment will be conducted by the Ministry of Agriculture and Co-operatives (MoAC), World Food Program (WFP) and Food and Agriculture Organization in the districts significantly affected by insufficient rains, said a latest market report issued by the WFP on Tuesday.
“The poor harvest of winter crops is expected to lead to increased supply concerns and cost of staple commodities over the coming days,” the report added. Wheat and barley are the major winter crops.
The ministry is also collecting the data from different districts on harvest situation of winter crops.
The latest report said a 13-day general shutdown in the Terai disrupted markets in Kailali, Banke and Parsa and caused food security distress in various hill and mountain feeder markets including Ilam, Dadeldhura, Baitadi, Bajhang, Achham, Bajura and Udayapur.
In March, nearly 40 percent of of the markets in hill and mountain districts had insufficient or depleted supply of coarse rice and other food grains, according to the report.
“At the national level the price of most key food commodities remained high during March, but were generally stable compared to February,” said the report.
Prices of mustard oil, soybean oil, musuro (a pulse variety), blackgram and coarse rice changed just 3 per cent during March compared to February. Prices of chicken and potatoes rose by 32 percent and 27 percent respectively – Rs 22 and Rs 165 per kg.
However the price of musuro pulse was up by 37 percent, coarse rice by 16 percent and soybean oil by 15 percent in March as compared to last year’s prices.
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