MALI (21 February)
The 2002 cereal production figures released by the government are significantly lower than the estimates of the joint FAO/CILSS Crop Assessment Mission in October 2002 which indicated an average harvest. The aggregate output of cereal has been revised to some 2 288 336 tonnes, 8 percent less than the average of last five years.
The overall food supply situation is tight notably in the west. The return of some 130 000 Malians from Côte d’Ivoire is putting additional pressure on food supply. However the national security stock has been reconstituted close to its optimal level of 35 000 tonnes. The Government also distributed 9 513 tonnes of food to vulnerable people.