Burundi Key Message Update May - September 2026: Seasonal improvements being slowed by high food prices and bean crop loss

Country: Burundi Source: Famine Early Warning System Network Please refer to the attached file. Key Messages The Eastern and Northern Lowlands, Eastern Dry Plateaus, and Imbo Plains are projected to remain in Stressed (IPC Phase 2) through September. While the arrival of Season B harvests in June will temporarily improve access to food and income, improvement will be hindered by expected localized below-average harvests, sustained high food prices, and market pressures from high demand in areas with large populations of refugees and returnees. Household income-earning opportunities continue to be limited by the continued closure of the Rwanda border since January 2024 and restricted access to the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). At the same time, competition for labor for labor opportunities within Burundi is atypically high due to the large recent influxes of refugees and returning Burundians. As a result, household purchasing power is weak, limiting food access, as households remain highly dependent on market purchases. Season B harvests are expected to be near-average in most areas, bolstered by production of tubers and bananas mostly offsetting notable bean crop losses caused by below-average rainfall from late March to mid-April. Beans account for about 25–30 percent of Season B national crop production and nearly 50 percent in the northern regions. The largest losses occurred in the semi-arid Northern Lowlands, where production is now anticipated to be around 40 percent below average. Losses are also estimated at 15–20 percent in the Eastern Lowlands and around 10 percent in the Eastern Dry Plateaus. Fertilizer shortages and high input prices, linked to limited foreign currency availability and the conflict in the Middle East, also weakened agricultural produ...

Original source: Relief Web