- Unseasonable rains from July through September have strengthened the ongoing food recovery process in northwestern pastoral districts, FEWSNET food notification results showed.
Improved terms-of-trade are facilitating food access for pastoral households.
However, pastoral conditions seasonally declined in the area.
Food monitors warned that for Kenya to sustain the pastoral recovery process and enhance resilience, it must implement livelihood-building interventions across sectors, in addition to successive seasons of good rains.
"Kenya is well supplied with maize through the end of the July 2007 to June 2008 marketing year, as long as the current unseasonable rains in some key producing areas do not cause significant pre- or post-harvest losses," FEWSNET assured, predicting a decline in maize prices in most markets through March 2008 as crops continue to be harvested.
But good rains are needed in October and December to improve the food security of households in the short rains-dependent southeastern marginal agricultural lowlands that faced widespread long-rains crop losses this year.
This area may experience another poor harvest and severe food security crisis if it does not register normal rain fall.
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