FAO/GIEWS: Africa Report No.3, December 1998 -

COMOROS

Area:	2 000 sq.km
Climate:	Tropical wet-dry; one hot rainy season with cyclone probability; June-October dry and cool
Population:	0.729 million (1998 estimate); G.N.P. per caput: U.S.$ 460 (1996)
Specific characteristics of the country:	Low-income food-deficit country; archipelago of four small islands
Logistics:	-
Major foodcrops:	Rice, roots, tubers, bananas and coconuts
Marketing year:	January/December
Share of cereals in total calorie intake:	44 percent

CURRENT SITUATION
Most of the country’s agricultural land is planted to cash crops, bananas and root crops. Only one-quarter of the cereal requirement is produced locally and, consequently, there is a structural deficit of some 46 000 tonnes of cereals, largely covered by commercial imports. Food aid needs are estimated at 10 000 tonnes.

CEREAL SUPPLY/DEMAND BALANCE FOR THE 1998 MARKETING YEAR (in thousand tonnes)

	Wheat	Rice	Coarse grains	Total
Normal Production	-	17	4	21
Normal Imports	5	35	-	40
of which: Structural food aid	1	5	-	6
1998 Domestic Availability	-	12	4	16
1997 Production (rice in paddy terms)	-	15	4	19
1997 Production (rice in milled terms)	-	10	4	14
Possible stock drawdown	-	2	-	2
1998 Utilization	6	52	4	62
Food Use	6	50	2	58
of which: local purchase requirement	-	-	-	-
Non-food use	-	2	2	4
Exports or Re-exports	-	-	-	-
Possible stock build up	-	-	-	-
1998 Import Requirement	6	40	-	46
Anticipated commercial imports	5	31	-	36
Food aid needs	1	9	-	10
Current Aid Position
Food aid pledges	-	6	-	6
of which: Delivered	-	4	-	4
Donor-financed purchases	-	-	-	-
of which: for local use	-	-	-	-
for export	-	-	-	-
Estimated Per Caput Consumption (kg/Year)	8	69	3	80
Indexes
1997 production as % of normal:				90
1998 import requirement as % of normal:				115
1998 food aid requirement as % of normal:				167