A severe macroeconomic crisis caused acute shortages and spikes in the prices of essential products, including medicines, food, agricultural inputs and fuel, bringing the overall economic activities to a standstill, with major disruptions to agricultural production.

Acute food insecurity has risen dramatically, as a result of import shortages, soaring prices, livelihood disruptions, reduced household purchasing power and exhaustion of less severe household coping strategies.

Production of paddy, the main food staple, is forecast at 3 million tonnes in 2022, a 42 percent decline year-on-year and the lowest level since the 2017 drought-affected output, mostly due to low yields following reduced application of agrochemicals.