RWANDA (14 October)
Sowing of 2006A (secondary) season crops, maize, sorghum and beans is nearly completed under near normal weather conditions. The 2005 aggregate cereal production (season A and season B, with roughly one-third, two-third proportions) is estimated at 373 000 tonnes (milled basis), showing significant increase of about 28 percent over last year. This is primarily due to a record cereal harvest of 287 855 tonnes, some 44 percent for 2005B season above 2004B harvest. Consequently, the main food prices index has been declining since late March 2005. In Kigali market July prices were higher by 36 percent for sweet potatoes and 21 percent for beans compared the average prices in June. Production of roots and tubers is estimated to be lower this year than last year. Due to good harvest sorghum prices were found to have decreased in July. In spite of this favourable production, the country is largely deficit in cereals and requires over 200 000 tonnes of imports, of which food aid has been estimated at some 30 000 tonnes for 110 000 vulnerable people during the lean months of April-May and October-November in the eastern part of the country. So far commercial imports of 18 000 tonnes (maize from Uganda) and food aid of 17 000 tonnes have been received.