CAPE VERDE (7 May)
A joint FAO/CILSS Crop Assessment Mission, which visited the country in October last year, estimated production of maize – the only cereal grown – for 2003 at 15 800 tonnes. This is 79 percent above the drought-affected crop in the previous year but remains below average. However, also in a normal year, domestic production covers only one-fifth of the country’s cereal utilization requirement and the balance has to be imported.
For the marketing year 2003/04 (November/October), imports of cereals are forecast at some 86 000 tonnes, including 39 000 tonnes of food aid.