Area:
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246 000 sq.km
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Climate:
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Tropical wet-dry; rainy season: March/June to October/November
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Population:
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7.11 million (2000 estimate); G.N.P. per caput: US$ 540 (1998)
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Specific characteristics of the country:
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Low-income food-deficit country; mountainous coastal country
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Logistics:
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Ports and roads inadequate
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Major foodcrops:
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Rice, roots and tubers, coarse grains
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Marketing year:
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January/December; Lean season: July-September
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Share of cereals in total calorie intake:
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52 percent
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First rains have been registered in the extreme south in March. Rains covered the entire country and were generally above average in April. Precipitation decreased in the centre and the north in early and mid-May but improved in late May, allowing widespread planting of rice and coarse grains. Rains decreased in early June, but improved in mid-June and became particularly abundant in early July in the north and the west.
Following a record cereal harvest in 1999, estimated at a 1.04 million tonnes (with rice in paddy), the overall food supply situation is satisfactory. Markets are well supplied both in urban and rural areas. Surpluses are available in the Guinée Maritime and Guinée Forestière regions. Some 488 000 refugees remain in the country (120 000 from Liberia and 366 000 from Sierra Leone), located mainly in Gueckédou (360 000), Forécariah (60 000) and N'Zérékore (60 000). They are receiving food assistance and are considered at moderate nutritional risk. The cereal import requirement for the 2000 marketing year is estimated at 350 000 tonnes of wheat and rice.
| Wheat | Rice | Coarse grains | Total | |
| Previous five years average production | - | 665 | 206 | 871 |
| Previous five years average imports | 114 | 262 | - | 376 |
| 2000 Domestic Availability | 5 | 547 | 222 | 774 |
| 1999 Production (rice in paddy terms) | - | 820 | 222 | 1 042 |
| 1999 Production (rice in milled terms) | - | 547 | 222 | 769 |
| Possible stock drawdown | 5 | - | - | 5 |
| 2000 Utilization | 115 | 787 | 222 | 1 124 |
| Food Use | 113 | 644 | 178 | 935 |
| of which: local purchase requirement | - | - | - | - |
| Non-food use | 2 | 123 | 44 | 169 |
| Exports or Re-exports | - | 15 | - | 15 |
| Possible stock build up | - | 5 | - | 5 |
| 2000 Import Requirement | 110 | 240 | - | 350 |
| Anticipated commercial imports | 105 | 240 | - | 345 |
| Food aid needs | 5 | - | - | 5 |
| Current Aid Position | ||||
| Food aid pledges | - | - | - | - |
| of which: Delivered | - | - | - | - |
| Donor-financed purchases | - | - | - | - |
| of which: for local use | - | - | - | - |
| for export | - | - | - | - |
| Estimated Per Caput Consumption (kg/Year) | 16 | 91 | 25 | 132 |
| Indexes | ||||
| 1999 production as % of average: | 120 | |||
| 2000 import requirement as % of average: | 93 |
