SIERRA LEONE TRADER SURVEY REPORT April 3, 2015

Transcription

1 Between November 2014 and March 2015, FEWS NET worked with Mobile Accord (GeoPoll) to conduct seven rounds of SMS-based trader surveys in Liberia and Sierra Leone on the status of market activities and operating costs. Liberia and Sierra Leone are FEWS NET remote monitoring countries. In remote monitoring countries, analysts typically work from a regional office, relying on a network of partners for information. As less data may be available, remote monitoring reports may have less detail than FEWS NET presence countries. The SMS-based survey results serve to corroborate key informant and partner reports on market activities and serve as inputs to FEWS NET s integrated food security analysis on the impacts of the Ebola outbreak. The first round of data collection identified a sample of traders to monitor fundamental market characteristics (Table 1). During the second through sixth rounds, the survey focused on market activities, while the seventh round inquired about both market and agricultural activities. Data was collected on a bi-weekly basis for rounds 2-6 and on a monthly basis thereafter. This report provides a summary of findings from a FEWS NET trader survey using a SMS-based platform through GeoPoll during the week of March 2, 2015 (seventh round of data collection). The sample includes 500 small to large-scale traders across 14 districts in Sierra Leone (Figure 1). Thirty percent of respondents were imported rice traders and 30 percent were local rice traders, followed by palm oil (20 percent), and cassava (20 percent). During the week of March 2 nd, 43 percent of survey respondents reported that the most important market in their area operated at reduced levels (Figures 2 and 3), and 5 percent of traders reported market closures. Thirty-five percent of traders indicated that market supplies of main commodities were lower than normal at this time (Figure 4). Travel restrictions was the most frequently cited reason for reduced market supplies over the previous 10 days (Figure 5). Over 65 percent of respondents indicated that the current primary agricultural activity is land preparation (Figure 10). Thirty-two percent of respondents reported normal and on-time agricultural activities (Figure 9). More than 62 percent of respondents reported reduced wage opportunities compared to normal at this time (Figure 8). Over 47 percent of traders reported that they were not able to sell their cash crops as usual at this time of year (Figure 7). Figure 1. Geographic distribution of survey sample Table 1. GeoPoll SMS-based survey timeline Round Week Survey focus Sample size 1 Nov 3, 2014 Identify sample of traders 594 and their characteristics 2 Nov 17, 2014 Current market activities Dec 8, 2014 Current market activities Dec 22, 2014 Jan 5, 2015 Jan 19, 2015 Current market activities Current market activities Current market activities March 2, 2015 Current market and agricultural activities 500 Future monthly data collection is planned through September FEWS NET WEST AFRICA FEWS.WEST@fews.net FEWS NET is a USAID-funded activity. The content of this report does not necessarily reflect the view of the United States Agency for International Development or the United States Government

2 Daily market activity - week of March 2 nd, 2015 Figure 2. Traders reporting reduced or closed daily market functioning Table 2. Status of daily market activities Daily market functioning status Frequency Open and normal activity 229 Open and reduced activity 179 Closed 6 Weekly market activity - week of March 2 nd, 2015 Figure 3. Traders reporting reduced or closed weekly market functioning Table 3. Status of weekly market activities Weekly market functioning status Frequency Open and normal activity 31 Open and reduced activity 34 Closed 21 Famine Early Warning Systems Network 2

3 Figure 3. Percentage of traders reporting reduced market supplies Market supplies - week of March 2 nd, 2015 Figure 4. Percentage of traders reporting reduced market supplies resulting from travel restrictions Famine Early Warning Systems Network 3

4 Table 4. Traders reporting reduced market supplies, inadequate food availability on markets, and reduced cash crop sales during the week of March 2 nd County Responses Reported reduced local food availability Reported decline in market supplies 1 Reported reduced cash crop sales 2 Bo 59 Bombali * 46 Bonthe 20 Kailahun * 21 Kambia 19 Kenema * 47 Koinadugu 33 Kono 34 Moyamba 24 Port Loko * 28 Pujehun 12 Tonkolili 22 Western Area Rural * Western Area Urban * Total 500 Num % 51% 42% 59% Num % 41% 22% 41% Num % 50% 35% 35% Num % 48% 14% 67% Num % 37% 21% 37% Num % 34% 32% 47% Num % 39% 27% 39% Num % 32% 41% 35% Num % 71% 42% 50% Num % 39% 21% 25% Num % 67% 25% 50% Num % 41% 32% 50% Num % 52% 46% 61% Num % 42% 44% 48% Num % 45% 35% 47% * denotes areas with highest number of Ebola cases in 2014/15 and Ebola cases from WHO Famine Early Warning Systems Network 4

5 Staple food and cash crop market dynamics - week of March 2 nd, 2015 Figure 6. Percentage of traders reporting inadequate food availability on markets Figure 7. Percentage of traders reporting reduced cash crop sale opportunities compared to normal at this time Wage opportunities and rice cultivation status - week of March 2 nd, 2015 Figure 8. Percentage of traders reporting less opportunities to earn wages on farms compared to normal at this time Figure 9. Percentage of traders reporting normal and on-time rice cultivation activities Famine Early Warning Systems Network 5

6 Current rice cultivation activity - week of March 2 nd, 2015 Figure 10. Reported stage of the current rice cultivation activity National Bo *Bombali Bonthe *Kailahun Kambia *Kenema Koinadugu Kono Moyamba *Port Loko Pujehun Tonkolili *Western Area Rural *Western Area Urban 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100% Land preparation Planting Weeding Harvesting Figure 11. Seasonal calendar for a typical year in Sierra Leone * denotes areas with highest number of Ebola cases in 2014/15 Famine Early Warning Systems Network 6