Mostly dry weather from September to mid-October, particularly in areas of low and middle-altitude, has delayed plantings of beans and maize of the 2003 A season and resulted in reductions in the area planted. The dry weather has also affected development of non-seasonal crops, mainly sweet potatoes. The final outcome of the harvest, normally towards the end of the year, will depend on rains in the coming weeks, but production is likely to decline from the good level of last year due to delayed and reduced plantings.
Following a good harvest of the 2002 B season, markets are well supplied with basic staples sorghum, cassava and bananas, and prices remain stable. By contrast, prices of beans, production of which was reduced last season, have increased sharply in the past months. Despite the overall satisfactory food supply situation, a recent vulnerability assessment undertaken by WFP and other international agencies have found that 274 000 most vulnerable persons in chronically food deficit areas are in need of food assistance during the lean period form November to December.