Food demand and nutrition for people living in south-west cyclone SIDR affected regions in Bangladesh

Food consumption, nutrition and demand for farmers’ families were studied in the south-west Sidr affected regions, namely, Patuakhali, Barguna and Jhalakathi in Bangladesh. Based on primary data of 300 households collected with simple random sampling technique from January to June in 2013, the study used LA/AIDS model and descriptive statistics to explain food demand, consumption and nutrition. Farmers consumed less food in terms of per capita calorie and protein intakes. Food cost was 58 percent of total cost. Farmers of Barguna and Jhalakathi regions were mostly absolute poor. The per capita food, calorie and protein intakes were respectively 1037g, 2104 kcal and 84g. Farmers with higher farm sizes consumed more daily per capita food whereas farmers with higher family sizes exhibited less daily per capita food consumption. Food demand was significantly influenced by its own price, prices of other commodities and real expenditure on individual commodities. All compensated and uncompensated own price elasticities of food items were negative. All expenditure elasticities were positive and significant. The food commodities oil, spices, sugar, meat, milk and egg were expenditure inelastic whereas the commodities rice, vegetables, lentil and fish were expenditure elastic. As a policy, prices of all expenditure elastic commodities should be controlled by market intervention to enhance the real income of farmers.