FEWS NET WEST AFRICA

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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

SIERRA LEONE TRADER SURVEY REPORT April 3, 2015

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 2nd, 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

Source: FEWS NET

Source: FEWS NET

Table 1. GeoPoll SMS-based survey timeline Round Week Survey focus Sample size

1 Nov 3, 2014 Identify sample of traders

and their characteristics

594

2 Nov 17, 2014 Current market activities 463

3 Dec 8, 2014 Current market activities 414

4

5

6

Dec 22, 2014

Jan 5, 2015

Jan 19, 2015

Current market activities

Current market activities

Current market activities

336

285

230

7 March 2, 2015 Current market and

agricultural activities

500

Future monthly data collection is planned through September 2015.

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.

SIERRA LEONE TRADER SURVEY REPORT April 3, 2015

Famine Early Warning Systems Network 2

Daily market activity - week of March 2nd, 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

Source: FEWS NET Source: FEWS NET

Weekly market activity - week of March 2nd, 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

Source: FEWS NET Source: FEWS NET

SIERRA LEONE TRADER SURVEY REPORT April 3, 2015

Famine Early Warning Systems Network 3

Market supplies - week of March 2nd, 2015

Figure 3. Percentage of traders reporting reduced market

supplies

Figure 4. Percentage of traders reporting reduced market

supplies resulting from travel restrictions

Source: FEWS NET Source: FEWS NET

SIERRA LEONE TRADER SURVEY REPORT April 3, 2015

Famine Early Warning Systems Network 4

Table 4. Traders reporting reduced market supplies, inadequate food availability on markets, and reduced cash

crop sales during the week of March 2nd

County Responses

Reported

reduced local food

availability

Reported

decline in market

supplies1

Reported

reduced cash

crop sales2

Bo 59 Num 30 25 35

% 51% 42% 59%

Bombali * 46 Num 19 10 19

% 41% 22% 41%

Bonthe 20 Num 10 7 7

% 50% 35% 35%

Kailahun * 21 Num 10 3 14

% 48% 14% 67%

Kambia 19 Num 7 4 7

% 37% 21% 37%

Kenema * 47 Num 16 15 22

% 34% 32% 47%

Koinadugu 33 Num 13 9 13

% 39% 27% 39%

Kono 34 Num 11 14 12

% 32% 41% 35%

Moyamba 24 Num 17 10 12

% 71% 42% 50%

Port Loko * 28 Num 11 6 7

% 39% 21% 25%

Pujehun 12 Num 8 3 6

% 67% 25% 50%

Tonkolili 22 Num 9 7 11

% 41% 32% 50%

Western

Area Rural * 56

Num 29 26 34

% 52% 46% 61%

Western

Area Urban * 79

Num 33 35 38

% 42% 44% 48%

Total 500 Num 223 174 237

% 45% 35% 47% * denotes areas with highest number of Ebola cases in 2014/15

Source: FEWS NET and Ebola cases from WHO

SIERRA LEONE TRADER SURVEY REPORT April 3, 2015

Famine Early Warning Systems Network 5

Staple food and cash crop market dynamics - week of March 2nd, 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

Source: FEWS NET Source: FEWS NET

Wage opportunities and rice cultivation status - week of March 2nd, 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

Source: FEWS NET

Source: FEWS NET

SIERRA LEONE TRADER SURVEY REPORT April 3, 2015

Famine Early Warning Systems Network 6

Figure 11. Seasonal calendar for a typical year in Sierra Leone

Source: FEWS NET

Current rice cultivation activity - week of March 2nd, 2015

Figure 10. Reported stage of the current rice cultivation activity

* denotes areas with highest number of Ebola cases in 2014/15

Source: FEWS NET

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%

*Western Area Urban

*Western Area Rural

Tonkolili

Pujehun

*Port Loko

Moyamba

Kono

Koinadugu

*Kenema

Kambia

*Kailahun

Bonthe

*Bombali

Bo

National

Land preparation Planting Weeding Harvesting