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: US$ 470 (1995)
|
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
|
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.
Wheat
|
Rice
|
Coarse grains
|
Total
| |
Normal Production
|
-
|
17
|
4
|
21
|
Normal Imports
|
5
|
35
|
-
|
40
|
of which: Structural food aid
|
1
|
5
|
-
|
6
|
1999 Domestic Availability
|
-
|
4
|
4
|
8
|
1999 Production (rice in paddy terms)
|
-
|
3
|
4
|
7
|
1999 Production (rice in milled terms)
|
-
|
2
|
4
|
6
|
Possible stock drawdown
|
-
|
2
|
-
|
2
|
1999 Utilization
|
6
|
44
|
4
|
54
|
Food Use
|
6
|
42
|
2
|
50
|
of which: local purchase requirement
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
Non-food use
|
-
|
2
|
2
|
4
|
Exports or Re-exports
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
Possible stock build up
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
1999 Import Requirement
|
6
|
40
|
-
|
46
|
Anticipated commercial imports
|
5
|
31
|
-
|
36
|
Food aid needs
|
1
|
9
|
-
|
10
|
Current Aid Position
|
||||
Food aid pledges
|
-
|
1
|
-
|
1
|
of which: Delivered
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
Donor-financed purchases
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
of which: for local use
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
for export
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
Estimated Per Caput Consumption (kg/Year)
|
8
|
58
|
3
|
69
|
Indexes
|
||||
1999 production as % of normal:
|
33
| |||
1999 import requirement as % of normal:
|
115
| |||
1999 food aid requirement as % of normal:
|
167
|