FAO/GIEWS: Africa Report No.3 - December 2003 p.18
A joint FAO/CILSS Crop Assessment Mission in October 2003 has provisionally estimated 2003 output of maize, the only cereal grown, at 15 800 tonnes. This level of production is 79 percent above the drought-affected crop harvested last year but remains below the average for the previous five years. However, this harvest represents only a fifth of the country cereal utilisation requirement. Cereal import requirement in 2003/04 (November/October) is thus forecast at 70 000 tonnes, including 30 000 tonnes as food aid.
| CEREAL SUPPLY/DEMAND BALANCE FOR THE 2003/04 MARKETING YEAR (November/October) | ||||
| Wheat | Rice | Coarse Grains | Total Cereals | |
| [ | thousand tonnes | ] | ||
| Previous year production (incl. paddy rice) | - | - | 9 | 9 |
| Previous five years average production (incl. paddy rice) | - | - | 19 | 19 |
| Previous year imports | 13 | 34 | 29 | 76 |
| Previous five years average imports | 20 | 32 | 32 | 84 |
| 2003/04 Domestic Availability | - | - | 16 | 16 |
| 2003 Production (incl. paddy rice) | - | - | 16 | 16 |
| 2003 Production (incl. milled rice) | - | - | 16 | 16 |
| Possible stock drawdown | - | - | - | - |
| 2003/04 Utilization | 13 | 29 | 44 | 86 |
| Food use | 13 | 29 | 41 | 83 |
| Non-food use | - | - | 2 | 2 |
| Exports or re-exports | - | - | - | - |
| Possible stock build up | - | - | - | - |
| 2003/04 Import Requirement | 13 | 29 | 28 | 70 |
| Anticipated commercial imports | 7 | 25 | 8 | 40 |
| of which: received or contracted | - | - | - | - |
| Food aid needs | 6 | 4 | 20 | 30 |
| Current Aid Position | ||||
| Food aid pledges | - | 4 | 16 | 20 |
| of which: delivered | - | - | - | - |
| Donor-financed purchases | - | - | - | - |
| of which: for local use | - | - | - | - |
| for export | - | - | - | - |
| Estimated Per Caput Consumption (kg/year) | 29 | 62 | 88 | 178 |
| Indexes | [ | percentage | ] | |
| 2003 Production compared to average (incl. paddy rice) | - | - | 83 | 83 |
| 2003/04 Import requirement compared to average | 66 | 91 | 88 | 83 |
| Cereal share of total calorie intake | 50 | |||
| Additional Information | ||||
| Major foodcrops | maize; rice; pulses | |||
| Lean season | n.a since 90% of requirements covered by imports | |||
| Population (000s) | 467 | |||
| GNP per capita in 2002 (US$) | 1 290 | |||