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Area:
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1.22 million sq.km
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Climate:
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Sub-tropical with rains concentrated in the summer months (November-April); occasional snow in winter over higher parts of plateau and Cape ranges; an average of 120 days frost in the interior plateau
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Population:
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40.38 million (2000 estimate); GNP per caput US$3 160 (1999)
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Specific characteristics of the country:
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Normally net food exporter, notably maize
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Logistics:
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Adequate port, rail and road facilities
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Major foodcrops:
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Maize, wheat
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Marketing year:
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May/April; Lean season: February-April
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Share of cereals in total calorie intake:
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54 percent
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Harvesting of the 2001 coarse grains, mainly maize, is complete. Latest production forecasts indicate a maize output of 7.2 million tonnes. At this level, production is one-third below the bumper crop of last year and well below the average of the past five years. The reduced harvest reflects a decrease of 17 percent in the area sown, due to low domestic prices at planting time, as well as unfavourable weather during the season. Poor rains and high temperatures in January and early February, particularly in the main western growing areas, stressed the developing maize crop. Subsequent abundant rains arrived too late to prevent sharp yield reductions.
Despite the sharp decline in production, the country still has an exportable surplus of about 500 000 tonnes of maize, as a result of large carry-over stocks estimated at 2.6 million tonnes.
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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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2 178
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3
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9 904
|
12 085
|
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Previous five years average exports
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146
|
-
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1 274
|
1 420
|
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2001/02 Domestic Availability
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1 863
|
100
|
9 120
|
11 083
|
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2001 Production (rice in paddy terms)
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1 713
|
-
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7 665
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9 378
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2001 Production (rice in milled terms)
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1 713
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-
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7 665
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9 378
|
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Possible stock drawdown
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150
|
100
|
1 455
|
1 705
|
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2001/02 Utilization
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2 663
|
100
|
9 266
|
12 029
|
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Food use
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2 450
|
100
|
4 612
|
7 162
|
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of which: local purchase requirement
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
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Non-food use
|
163
|
-
|
4 154
|
4 317
|
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Exports or re-exports
|
50
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-
|
500
|
550
|
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Possible stock build up
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-
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-
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-
|
-
|
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2001/02 Import Requirement
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800
|
-
|
146
|
946
|
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Anticipated commercial imports
|
-
|
-
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-
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-
|
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Food aid needs
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
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Current Aid Position
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||||
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Food aid pledges
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
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of which: delivered
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
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Donor-financed purchases
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
|
of which: for local use
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-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
|
for export
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
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Estimated Per Caput Consumption (kg/year)
|
60
|
2
|
113
|
175
|
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Indexes
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||||
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2001 Production as % of average:
|
78
| |||
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2001/02 Import requirement as % of average:
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67
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