Area: |
17 000 sq.km |
Climate: |
Highland rainy climate. Rainy season:
October-April; cool temperatures in May- September |
Population: |
0.96 million (1999 estimate); G.N.P.
per caput: US$1 360 (1999) |
Specific characteristics of the
country: |
Low-income food-deficit country;
land-locked country |
Logistics: |
Good road network; imports through
Mozambique or South Africa |
Major foodcrops: |
Maize |
Marketing year: |
May/April; Lean season: February-April |
Share of cereals in total calorie
intake: |
55 percent |
Good rains in October provided adequate soil moisture for planting of the 2001 coarse grains crops, mainly maize, which is well advanced. Early prospects are favourable. A late start of the rainy season, followed by excessive precipitation, resulted in a sharply reduced 2000 maize production. Latest estimated put the output at 72 000 tonnes, 36 percent lower than the previous year's level and below average. Import requirements of maize in marketing year 2000/01 increased substantially to 40 000 tonnes. In addition, the country has a structural deficit of 40 000 tonnes of wheat and minor quantities of rice. These requirements are expected to be covered on commercial basis. The overall food supply situation is expected to remain satisfactory in 2001. However, it is estimated that 14 000 people who gathered a reduced crop this year are in need of emergency food assistance until the next harvest.
| Wheat | Rice | Coarse grains | Total | |
| Previous five years average production | - | 3 | 110 | 113 |
| Previous five years average imports | 43 | 7 | 23 | 73 |
| 2000/01 Domestic Availability | - | 2 | 90 | 92 |
| 2000 Production (rice in paddy terms) | - | 3 | 73 | 76 |
| 2000 Production (rice in milled terms) | - | 2 | 73 | 75 |
| Possible stock drawdown | - | - | 17 | 17 |
| 2000/01 Utilization | 40 | 10 | 130 | 180 |
| Food Use | 40 | 10 | 114 | 164 |
| of which: local purchase requirement | - | - | - | - |
| Non-food use | - | - | 16 | 16 |
| Exports or Re-exports | - | - | - | - |
| Possible stock build up | - | - | - | - |
| 2000/01 Import Requirement | 40 | 8 | 40 | 88 |
| Anticipated commercial imports | 40 | 8 | 40 | 88 |
| Food aid needs | - | - | - | - |
| Current Aid Position | ||||
| Food aid pledges | - | - | - | - |
| of which: Delivered | - | - | - | - |
| Donor-financed purchases | - | - | - | - |
| of which: for local use | - | - | - | - |
| for export | - | - | - | - |
| Estimated Per Caput Consumption (kg/Year) | 41 | 10 | 116 | 167 |
| Indexes | ||||
| 2000 production as % of average: | 67 | |||
| 2000/01 import requirement as % of average: | 121 |
