There are still 1.1 million people in Uganda who do not have enough food to eat.
The latest report from the Famine Early Warning Systems Network (FEWS Net) says 81 percent of food insecure people live in the Karamoja region.
Despite this, the outlook is positive. According to the report rains in this region have kept livestock close to home and improved production. This means that the most vulnerable people – children, women and the elderly – have access to livestock products.
The rest of the food insecure population is in northern Uganda and parts of eastern Uganda. According to FEWS Net eastern Kitgum and Pader still face high levels of moderate food insecurity, although recent rains have provided some vegetables to ease the situation in the short term.
The report notes that the unseasonal rains in most parts of Uganda have increased market supplies. In Kampala and Masindi, for instance, wholesale food prices in January and February 2010 were about 50 percent less than the same period last year.
A comparison of wholesale maize prices for December 2009 and February 2010 in Kampala shows a 63 percent drop in the price of the commodity. Maize fell from about 105,000 shillings per 100 kilogram bag in December to an average of 38,000 shillings in February.
A similar analysis for beans indicates that prices in Kampala have remained stable at about 100,000 shillings for a 100 kilogram bag since December 2009. This, the report attributes to the supply within central regions being able to meet demand.
Outside Kampala, the market is faring better.
The price of beans in Kabale has dropped about 17 percent since December 2009 following the start of harvests and flow of the dry commodity. Root crops, tubers and matooke within central, south and eastern Uganda are also in good supply.
The FEWS Net report however warns that this progress in commodity prices may be undermined by recent rises, by up to 200 shillings, in fuel prices.
