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Area:
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976 680 sq.km
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Climate:
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Northern coastal area and lowlands in south and east are semi-arid to arid; rest of country has a highland rainy climate with mild winter.
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Population:
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65.0 million (2001 estimate); G.N.P. per caput: US$100 (1999)
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Specific characteristics of the country:
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Low-income food-deficit country
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Logistics:
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Land-locked country, roads inadequate
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Major foodcrops:
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Maize, teff, barley, sorghum, wheat, pulses, enset (false banana)
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Marketing year:
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January/December; Lean season: August-November
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Share of cereals in total calorie intake:
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69 percent
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Despite a late start, performance of the "belg" season rainfall is near normal. The "belg" crop accounts for some 7 to 10 percent of the aggregate cereal production of the country, but it is important in several areas, where it provides the bulk of the annual food supplies. Overall prospects for the harvest are favourable and output is anticipated to recover substantially from last year's poor "belg" crop. However, an army-worm outbreak recently reported in eastern parts of the country and bird infestations in the south may impact negatively on the outcome of the season.
In the pastoral areas, the current main season rainfall was late by about a month and ended early. Poor rainfall in parts of Gode, Liban, Werder and Afder Zones, sites of last year's severe food shortages, are particularly worrying. Recent nutritional surveys have shown high levels of global acute malnutrition, indicating continuing food shortages.
As a result of last year's bumper "meher" cereal and pulse crop, the overall food supply situation in the country is stable. However, the sharp decline in grain prices in main producing areas has severely affected household income in rural areas and may negatively impact on farmers' production decisions in the main "meher" season, which has just started. The Government and donors have made some attempts to support local markets through purchases of grain, but with limited funding available the efforts have not been successful so far. Some 6.5 million people, affected by a severe drought in the last two years and the war with neighbouring Eritrea, depend on food assistance.
An Emergency Operations (EMOP) worth about US$90 million was jointly approved in March 2001 by FAO and WFP for relief food assistance to 2.5 million small-scale farmers and drought-affected pastoralists, for a period of 10 months (April 2001 to January 2002). A revised EMOP was also approved jointly in April 2001 for 323 000 internally displaced people due to the war, worth a total of about US$55 million until end of July 2001. Food aid pledges by mid-July amounted to 556 000 tonnes, of which 259 000 tonnes have been delivered.
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Wheat
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Rice
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Coarse grains
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Total
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Previous five years average production
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1 145
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-
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7 103
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8 248
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Previous five years average imports
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556
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17
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45
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618
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2001 Domestic Availability
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1 369
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-
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7 569
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8 938
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2000 Production (rice in paddy terms)
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1 369
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-
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7 569
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8 938
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2000 Production (rice in milled terms)
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1 369
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-
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7 569
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8 938
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Possible stock drawdown
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-
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-
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-
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-
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2001 Utilization
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1 769
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50
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7 639
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9 458
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Food use
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1 582
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50
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6 232
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7 864
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of which: local purchase requirement
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-
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-
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300
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300
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Non-food use
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137
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-
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1 017
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1 154
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Exports or re-exports
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-
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-
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200
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200
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Possible stock build up
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50
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-
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190
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240
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2001 Import Requirement
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400
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50
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70
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520
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Anticipated commercial imports
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70
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50
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10
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130
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Food aid needs
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330
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-
|
60
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390
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Current Aid Position
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||||
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Food aid pledges
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458
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1
|
97
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556
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of which: delivered
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230
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1
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28
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259
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Donor-financed purchases
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-
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-
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17
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17
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of which: for local use
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-
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-
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17
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17
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for export
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-
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-
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-
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-
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Estimated Per Caput Consumption (kg/year)
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24
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1
|
96
|
121
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Indexes
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||||
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2000 Production as % of average:
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108
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2001 Import requirement as % of average:
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84
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