FAO/GIEWS: Africa Report No.2 - August 2002 p.27
| Area: | 322 460 sq km |
| Climate: | Tropical wet-dry; two rainy seasons (March-July and September-December) in south and one in north (May-October) |
| Population: | 15.32 million (2002 estimate); G.N.P. per caput: US$600 (2000) |
| Specific characteristics of the country: | Low-income food-deficit country; coastal country |
| Logistics: | Ports and roads adequate; gateway to Burkina Faso and Mali |
| Major foodcrops: | Roots and tubers, fruit, rice, maize |
| Marketing year: | January/December; Lean season: April-July |
| Share of cereals in total calorie intake: | 40 percent |
First rains in the south in late February permitted planting of the first maize crop. Abundant precipitation covered the entire country during April and May, benefiting planting and emergence of millet and sorghum crops in the north.
Following an above-average cereal harvest in 2001, the overall food supply situation is satisfactory. The cereal import requirement for the 2002 marketing year is estimated at 1 025 000 tonnes, mainly rice and wheat. There are some 140 000 Liberian refugees in the country, mainly in the west.
| Wheat | Rice | Coarse grains | Total | |
| Previous five years average production | - | 998 | 730 | 1 728 |
| Previous five years average imports | 285 | 640 | 9 | 934 |
| 2002 Domestic Availability | 10 | 683 | 730 | 1 423 |
| 2001 Production (rice in paddy terms) | - | 1 055 | 730 | 1 785 |
| 2001 Production (rice in milled terms) | - | 633 | 730 | 1 363 |
| Possible stock drawdown | 10 | 50 | - | 60 |
| 2002 Utilization | 280 | 1 433 | 735 | 2 448 |
| Food use | 275 | 1 275 | 561 | 2 111 |
| of which: local purchase requirement | - | - | - | - |
| Non-food use | 5 | 158 | 164 | 327 |
| Exports or re-exports | - | - | 10 | 10 |
| Possible stock build up | - | - | - | - |
| 2002 Import Requirement | 270 | 750 | 5 | 1 025 |
| Anticipated commercial imports | 270 | 745 | 5 | 1 020 |
| Food aid needs | - | 5 | - | 5 |
| Current Aid Position | ||||
| Food aid pledges | - | 5 | - | 5 |
| of which: delivered | - | 5 | - | 5 |
| Donor-financed purchases | - | - | - | - |
| of which: for local use | - | - | - | - |
| for export | - | - | - | - |
| Estimated Per Caput Consumption (kg/year) | 18 | 83 | 37 | 138 |
| Indexes | ||||
| 2001 Production as % of average: | 103 | |||
| 2002 Import requirement as % of average: | 110 |