Following above normal precipitation in June which permitted the start of plantings, rains decreased somewhat in early July and stopped during the second dekad. They resumed during the third dekad but remained below normal. This dry spell may have affected recently planted crops and delayed transplanting of rice.
The overall food supply situation is satisfactory except in Upper River Division following floods which affected crops in 1996. Rice stocks and planned imports are sufficient to cover consumption requirements in the months ahead. The rice market is well supplied but prices are higher than last year. Following floods in Upper River Division, a multi- disciplinary team estimated the needs of 150 000 affected persons at 2 235 tons of milled rice and recommended the purchase of early millet, maize and rice seeds to be distributed before the 1997 crop season. Cereal imports in 1996/97 are estimated at 110 000 tons and the food aid requirement at 13 000 tons. More than 600 refugees arrived from Sierra Leone following the coup in late May.