Overall, the terms of trade (casual labour wage/wheat) dropped by 4.4% in September compared to August, with significant deterioration in Nili and Maimana (-9.4% and -6.6%, respectively), mainly driven by a decrease in labour wages and an increase in wheat prices (+4.5%). During the same period, the average sheep/wheat ToT weakened by 4.3%. The pastoralists’ purchasing power was hampered by a slight decrease in sheep prices and the same increase in wheat prices. The highest drop occurred in Nili (-5.8%) followed by Hirat (-5.7%) and Maimana (-5.6%). On a yearly basis, the terms of trade improved by 19.3% in September 2012. The highest increase occurred in Mazar (+96.5%), Faizabad (+62%) and Maimana (+23.5%). However, the ToT deteriorated in Kandahar (-15.9%) and in Kabul (-8.8%).
October 2012