SIERRA LEONE TRADER SURVEY REPORT July 8, 2015

Transcription

1 This report provides a summary of findings from a FEWS NET trader survey using a SMS-based platform through GeoPoll during the week of May 25, 2015 (tenth round of data collection). The sample includes 404 small to large-scale traders across 14 districts in Sierra Leone (Figure 1). Thirty-seven percent of respondents were local rice traders and 29 percent were imported rice traders, followed by palm oil (17 percent), and cassava (16 percent). During the week of May 25 th, over 41 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). High transport costs was the most frequently cited reason for reduced market supplies over the previous 10 days (Figure 5). Over 51 percent of respondents indicated that the current primary agricultural activity is land preparation (Figure 10). Thirty-nine percent of respondents reported normal and on-time agricultural activities (Figure 9). Between November 2014 and May 2015, FEWS NET worked with Mobile Accord (GeoPoll) to conduct ten 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 subsequent rounds 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. Figure 1. Geographic distribution of survey sample More than 58 percent of respondents reported reduced wage opportunities compared to normal at this time (Figure 8). Nearly 37 percent of traders reported that they were not able to sell their cash crops as usual at this time of year (Figure 7). 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 Table 1. GeoPoll SMS-based survey timeline Round Week Survey Focus Sample size 1 Nov 3, 2014 Identify sample of traders and their characteristics Nov 17, 2014 Current market activities Dec 8, 2014 Current market activities Dec 22, 2014 Current market activities Jan 5, 2015 Current market activities Jan 19, 2015 Current market activities March 2, 2015 Current market and agricultural activities March 30, 2015 Current market and agricultural activities April 27, 2015 May 25, 2015 Current market and agricultural activities Current market and agricultural activities Future monthly data collection is planned through September Daily and weekly market activity - week of May 25 th, 2015 Figure 2. Traders reporting reduced or closed daily market functioning Figure 3. Traders reporting reduced or closed weekly market functioning Daily market functioning status Open and normal activity 191 Open and reduced activity 134 Closed 6 Frequency Weekly market functioning status Open and normal activity 27 Open and reduced activity 33 Closed 13 Frequency Famine Early Warning Systems Network 2

3 Figure 4. Percentage of traders reporting reduced market supplies Market supplies - week of May 25 th, 2015 Figure 5. Percentage of traders reporting reduced market supplies resulting from high transport costs Table 4. Percentage of traders reporting inadequate food availability on markets, reduced market supplies, and reduced cash crop sales during the week of May 25 th County Responses Reported inadequate local food availability Reported decline in market supplies 1 Reported reduced cash crop sales 2 Bo 57 49% 42% 18% Bombali * 40 35% 45% 48% Bonthe 12 42% 17% 50% Kailahun * 14 43% 36% 43% Kambia 11 55% 27% 27% Kenema * 34 24% 38% 26% Koinadugu 23 43% 43% 74% Kono 21 52% 43% 43% Moyamba 14 57% 21% 79% Port Loko * 16 31% 19% 50% Pujehun 8 63% 25% 50% Tonkolili 15 33% 33% 53% Western Area Rural * 48 38% 27% 23% Western Area Urban * 91 36% 34% 30% Total % 35% 37% * denotes areas with highest number of Ebola cases in 2014/15 and Ebola cases from WHO Famine Early Warning Systems Network 3

4 Staple food and cash crop market dynamics - week of May 25 th, 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 May 25 th, 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 ontime rice cultivation activities Famine Early Warning Systems Network 4

5 Current rice cultivation activity - week of May 25 th, 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 and Ebola cases from WHO Famine Early Warning Systems Network 5