FAO/GIEWS - Foodcrops & Shortages 02/02 - ETHIOPIA (1 February)
An FAO/WFP Crop and Food Supply Assessment Mission to the country in late 2001 estimated cereal and pulse production from the 2001 main “Meher” season at 12.33 million tonnes, 4 percent below the 2000 post-harvest estimate but about 9 percent above the average of the previous five years. The increase was mainly due to favourable rains and a low incidence of pests and diseases. The bumper harvest has resulted in sharply falling grain prices in most markets, negatively impacting on farmers’ income. The price fall could negatively affect next year’s production. On the other hand, the low prices offer an opportunity for a significant build- up of stocks at all levels. Export possibilities to neighbouring countries will be restricted because of good harvests in neighbouring Kenya and Sudan.
The overall good harvest masks the existence of food deficient communities in most parts of the country due to localised drought, population displacement and limited purchasing power. Emergency food requirements in 2002 are projected at about 560 000 tonnes targeting some 5.2 million people. The Mission strongly recommended local purchases to the extent possible for donors wishing to give food aid to the country. (For more details, the Mission Report can be found at the address http://www.fao.org/giews/english/alertes/2002/SRETH202.htm)