ANGOLA (14 October)
The FAO/WFP Crop and Food Supply Assessment Mission in June estimated 2004 cereal harvest at 713 000 tonnes, about 9 percent over last year or 27 percent over the previous five year average. This was mainly the result of the increased areas under cultivation, favourable weather, re-establishment of many internally displaced people and refugees and substantial distribution of agricultural inputs. Improved harvests in the northern and southern parts of the country and mixed results in the central highlands were experienced. Other crops such as cassava and in particular sweet and Irish potatoes, also increased from last year’s levels, while groundnuts significantly decreased because of unfavourable climatic conditions. Cereal import requirements for 2004/05 are estimated at 820 000 tonnes, of which 642 000 tonnes are expected to be in the form of commercial imports and 178 000 tonnes as emergency food aid.
Challenges to improving food production in the country include access to productive assets such as animals for traction and fertilizer and provision of agriculture extension services.
With the improvement in the security situation, large numbers of internally displaced persons (IDPs) and refugees have returned to their areas of origin. However, there are about 185 000 refugees still to be repatriated to Angola from neighbouring countries in the region (principally the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Zambia and Namibia). Vulnerability analysis indicates 334 000 people as food insecure and 717 000 as highly vulnerable to food insecurity. Those in need are mainly concentrated in the central provinces and those border provinces that continue to receive large numbers of returning refugees to Angola. About 245 000 people in Huambo, one of the central provinces, are likely to face food shortages in the coming months according to FEWS-NET. Also, severe water shortages for nomadic cattle herders are reported in southern Huila province.