Normal to above-normal rains since the beginning of the rainy season have maintained adequate growing conditions for the 1998 second season food crops, to be harvested from June. However, the recovery in production from the previous season’s level, which was affected by excessive rains, is expected to be limited by reduced plantings due to severe shortages of seeds, insecurity in parts and lack of labour in several areas.
The tight food supply situation following an insufficient harvest last season has deteriorated in the past months with increasing insecurity and violent incidents in the north- western prefectures of Gitarama and in parts of Ruhengeri and Gisenyi. A large number of people have become displaced. Serious food shortages are reported in several areas, but logistic difficulties due to heavy rains and floods early in the year have severely limited the amount of food aid delivered, which remained well below the estimated requirements. Food prices, which have risen sharply in the past months, stabilized in May.