FAO/GIEWS: Africa Report No.3 - December 2003 p.35
An FAO/WFP Crop and Food Supply Assessment Mission in April forecast the 2003 cereal production at 89 100 tonnes, about 65 percent above the poor level of the previous year but about 30 percent below average. Despite the improved production the country needs to import 323 000 tonnes (or 77 percent of its total requirements) of cereals to cover domestic consumption requirements, including 32 000 tonnes of food aid for vulnerable groups who experienced crop failure.
| CEREAL SUPPLY/DEMAND BALANCE FOR THE 2003/04 MARKETING YEAR (April/March) | ||||
| Wheat | Rice | Coarse Grains | Total Cereals | |
| [ | thousand tonnes | ] | ||
| Previous year production (incl. paddy rice) | 14 | - | 40 | 54 |
| Previous five years average production (incl. paddy rice) | 20 | - | 107 | 127 |
| Previous year imports | 57 | 10 | 177 | 244 |
| Previous five years average imports | 59 | 7 | 164 | 230 |
| 2003/04 Domestic Availability | 31 | - | 68 | 99 |
| 2003 Production (incl. paddy rice) | 24 | - | 65 | 89 |
| 2003 Production (incl. milled rice) | 24 | - | 65 | 89 |
| Possible stock drawdown | 6 | - | 3 | 10 |
| 2003/04 Utilization | 96 | 10 | 322 | 428 |
| Food use | 94 | 10 | 318 | 422 |
| Non-food use | 2 | - | 4 | 6 |
| Exports or re-exports | - | - | - | - |
| Possible stock build up | - | - | - | - |
| 2003/04 Import Requirement | 65 | 10 | 254 | 329 |
| Anticipated commercial imports | 65 | 8 | 224 | 297 |
| of which: received or contracted | 14 | - | 64 | 78 |
| Food aid needs | - | 2 | 30 | 32 |
| Current Aid Position | ||||
| Food aid pledges | - | 2 | 15 | 17 |
| of which: delivered | - | 2 | 10 | 12 |
| Donor-financed purchases | - | - | 5 | 5 |
| of which: for local use | - | - | 5 | 5 |
| for export | - | - | - | - |
| Estimated Per Caput Consumption (kg/year) | 42 | 5 | 142 | 189 |
| Indexes | [ | percentage | ] | |
| 2003 Production compared to average (incl. paddy rice) | 122 | - | 61 | 70 |
| 2003/04 Import requirement compared to average | 110 | 143 | 155 | 143 |
| Cereal share of total calorie intake | 78 | |||
| Additional Information | ||||
| Major foodcrops | maize; sorghum; vegetables | |||
| Lean season | February-April | |||
| Population (000s) | 2 237 | |||
| GNP per capita in 2002 (US$) | 470 | |||